ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 480W, on Crown Prosecution Service, what model of Logica tablet was purchased by the Crown Prosecution Service; what the size and weight of each unit is; and what feedback has been given by users.

Oliver Heald: The model of Logica tablet purchased by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was the HP EliteBook 2760p Tablet PC. The dimensions of this device are 3.2 cm high x 29.0 cm wide x 21.2 cm deep and the weight of the device is 1.79 kg.
	The feedback received from the majority of users has been positive and the tablets are now routinely used for the presentation of cases in court. In particular users have welcomed the fact that they no longer have to transport heavy files to court and also that they can download information at the courts or at home, enabling much more flexible working. Some users have provided the feedback that the device can be heavy to hold for long periods of time; that the battery life could be longer and that attaching the device to a mains power supply can restrict the user's ability to move around when presenting. The Department has sought to address these issues by providing additional equipment where possible for example, additional battery packs and adjustable lecterns to be used in court.

Homicide: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Crown Prosecution Service takes to monitor the quality of prosecutions of homicide cases where a single counsel is used in the prosecution of multiple defendants.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has a range of processes in place for monitoring the quality of its casework.
	Multiple defendant homicide cases, prosecuted by a single counsel, are not treated as a special category of case for monitoring purposes but a number of processes apply to these and similar cases of this type to ensure that quality standards are met.
	The CPS has an established process whereby decisions to instruct a Queen's Counsel (QC) or two counsel have to be formally approved by a Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) or by someone approved by the CCP for this purpose. In February 2012 the process was extended to include the instruction of a single counsel (other than a QC) in murder cases.
	Where a single counsel is instructed in a murder case, the CCP is required to keep matters under close review to ensure that the level of representation remains appropriate. Such reviews are likely to be conducted at key stages of the case, such as following the plea and case management hearing (PCMH) or upon receipt of the defence case statement.
	Single counsel instructed in homicide cases must be member of the CPS Advocate Panel and have been assessed as having the necessary skills, ability and experience to prosecute such cases.
	In addition, all cases are expected to be prosecuted in accordance with CPS Core Quality Standards with a sample of cases being monitored for compliance each month under a regime called Core Quality Standards Monitoring (CQSM).
	Furthermore, CPS Case Management Panel arrangements introduced in March 2005 provide a framework through which senior managers retain an overview of serious, complex and high profile cases according to set criteria. This includes the review of cases both during the proceedings and after the case has concluded.

Legal Costs

Simon Hart: To ask the Attorney-General what the cost to the Crown Prosecution Service has been of (a) wasted costs orders and (b) other costs orders in favour of defendants made by (i) Crown courts and (ii) magistrates courts in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Oliver Heald: There are a range of costs orders that can be made against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). These include costs orders under section 19 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, where an order may be made that one party pay the costs of the other party to criminal proceedings. Such an order may be made when the court is satisfied that the costs in question have been incurred by party A as a result of “an unnecessary or improper act or omission by or on behalf of” party B.
	Costs can also be ordered under section 19A of the same Act where an order may be made against a legal representative that s/he pay “wasted costs”. Wasted costs are costs incurred as a result of improper, unreasonable or negligent act or omission on the part of any representative or the employee of any ¦representative. Furthermore, costs can be ordered under section 19B of the same Act against third parties to pay the costs incurred by any other party to the proceedings.
	Finally, in civil proceedings, such as restraint proceedings when dealing with matters under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, inter-parties costs orders can be made which follow the event, namely that costs are awarded against the losing party
	The CPS maintains records of the overall value of costs payments made but does not distinguish between the various types of costs order listed above or if the order is made in a Crown court or a magistrates court. To ascertain the type, value and originating court of individual costs awards made over the last five years would require a review of each case and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	The total value of costs awards paid by the CPS over each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Total costs payments against the CPS (£) 
			 2008-09 652,766 
			 2009-10 907,061 
			 2010-11 1,547,874 
			 2011-12 384,682 
			 2012-13 1,202,515

Police: Corruption

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General to how many current or former lawyers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service Her Majesty's Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service has written inviting responses on the interim findings of the inquiry into the collapse of the prosecution of alleged police corruption surrounding the investigation of the murder of Lynette White.

Oliver Heald: On 22 May 2013, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service delivered to the Director of Public Prosecutions a private report on the handling of disclosure in the case of R v. Mouncher (and others).
	In advance of this, he wrote to eight CPS employees (or former employees) who were involved to some extent in the conduct of the prosecution, all of whom were qualified practising lawyers employed directly by the CPS at the time of their involvement. They were invited to comment on certain matters of factual accuracy.
	HMCPSI was under no legal duty to carry out this process, and the invitation to comment should not be seen as an indication that the individuals concerned were criticised directly in the report. All who took part in the process did so on a confidential basis.

Private Prosecutions

Simon Hart: To ask the Attorney-General how many private prosecutions have been taken over by the Crown Prosecution Service since 2011; and how many of those were (a) successfully prosecuted, (b) lost and (c) not proceeded with.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains internal management information on the number of private prosecutions referred to it; this information has been recorded since February 2011.
	The CPS centrally records the decision on whether or not to take over a private prosecution; it will also record, once the decision has been made to take over a private prosecution, whether the CPS will continue with the prosecution or stop it. The CPS does not separately record the outcome of those prosecutions that have been taken over and continued, so there are no records held as to whether a prosecution resulted in a conviction or an acquittal.
	CPS management information shows that since February 2011 the CPS has been referred 55 private prosecution cases and, of those, there are 29 cases where at least one charge has been taken over and stopped. The records also show that the CPS continued with the prosecutions in four of the 55 cases. 22 cases were not taken over.

Proceeds of Crime

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the monetary value was of the proceeds of crime confiscated from offenders by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in 2012-13; and of this how much was distributed (a) to the victims of crime and (b) to the SFO as part of the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme.

Oliver Heald: Criminal finances recovered by the Serious Fraud Office during 2012-13 amounted to: £11,418,464.71. This can be broken down into the following categories:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Confiscation Orders 3,874,030.50 
			 Civil Recovery Orders 2,026,909.21 
			 Stand-alone Compensation Orders 5,000,000.00 
			 Other outcomes arising from SFO actions 517,525.00 
			   
			 The sum distributed to victims 6,818,352.81 
			   
			 The sum received by the SFO as a result of the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme 2,027,170.63 
		
	
	A further sum of £64,417.22 has been recovered following civil recovery action but is currently held by the Trustee for Civil Recovery pending the distribution of compensation to victims.
	The term 'other outcomes arising from SFO actions' includes voluntary reparations to victims offered as part of mitigation at sentence.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Law Officers' Departments are taking to ensure the services they offer are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Oliver Heald: The Law Officers' Departments make all necessary reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities who may need to access their services. This includes supporting individuals during recruitment and at any time during their subsequent employment, in line with their duties under the Equality Act 2010.
	The TSol Bona Vacantia Division has also used, and will continue to use, British Sign Language interpreters to assist members of the public in their dealings with the organisation.
	In the case of the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service appropriate arrangements will always be made to provide support to people who are deaf if they are required to give evidence as a prosecution witness, such as providing qualified British Sign Language interpreters or qualified lipspeakers.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome of the inquiry into the alleged sexual assault and beasting of four minors at AFC Harrogate in May 2012 was; what steps have been taken; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The allegations made at Army Foundation College Harrogate were thoroughly investigated and as a result a number of junior soldiers were disciplined. Steps have also been taken to ensure that such behaviour is not allowed to recur, and the guidance issued on the care of soldiers aged under 18 years has been reviewed and updated.
	The matter was subsequently considered by the Safeguarding Children Board for North Yorkshire, who stated that no further action related to the incident was required.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the use of the Black Hornet Nano unmanned air vehicle in operations; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Black Hornet Unmanned Air System has been in UK service on Operation Herrick since May 2012. Initial feedback confirms that the system is providing a valuable capability to UK forces.

Afghanistan

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Afghan Government on the future use of UK operated unmanned aerial vehicles in that country.

Andrew Robathan: The UK, and ISAF partners, have discussed the redeployment of military equipment with the Afghan Government.

Afghanistan

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the UN Mission in Afghanistan's 2012 report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, whether his Department is participating in the review of criteria required to establish positive identification and determination of status undertaken by international forces in Afghanistan.

Andrew Robathan: No.

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the additional cost, beyond existing salaries and accommodation of military families has been to his Department's budget of the deployment of UK troops and medical auxiliaries in Afghanistan since 2001; and what his best estimate is of the number of non-combatants killed as a result of UK forces deployed in Afghanistan since the invasion.

Andrew Robathan: The costs of the net additional costs of operations in Afghanistan are set out, by financial year, in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year £ billion 
			 2001-02 0.221 
			 2002-03 0.311 
			 2003-04 0.460 
			 2004-05 0.670 
			 2005-06 0.199 
			 2006-07 0.738 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 1.504 
			 2008-09 2.623 
			 2009-10 3.821 
			 2010-11 3.780 
			 2011-12 3.460 
		
	
	The costs for financial year 2012-13 will be published in the 2012-13 annual report and accounts later this year.
	The UK operates in Afghanistan as part of the UN-mandated 50-nation ISAF coalition and at the invitation of the Afghan Government. We investigate carefully all alleged incidents involving UK forces from whatever cause. The Government does not record total figures for insurgent or civilian casualties in Afghanistan because of the difficulty of collecting robust data.

Air Force: Training

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many RAF recruits undertook flight training in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  when he expects the Grob 115E tutor trainer aircraft to be back in service; and what the effect of its grounding has been on the RAF's ability to train new pilots. [R]

Andrew Robathan: Babcock staff, with military involvement and oversight, are continuing test flights to confirm that the modified Grob Tutor aircraft are fit to fly in this role. It will resume flying training when it is safe to do so. Full release for military flying is expected in the near future.
	There has been minimal impact to the flying training pipeline and it will continue to provide its targeted output of trained pilots. A small number of students on Elementary Flying Training (EFT) are using other aircraft types to complete a proportion of the course's syllabus before progressing to Advanced Flying Training; assurance of training is being overseen by the RAF's Central Flying School. There has been no impact to the front line.
	The following table shows the number of RAF trainee pilots starting EFT and a running total of all RAF trainee pilots on EFT in each of the last 12 months.
	
		
			  RAF Trainee Pilots starting EFT Courses RAF Trainee Pilots on EFT Courses 
			 June 2012 0 20 
			 July 2012 (1)— 20 
			 August 2012 0 20 
			 September 2012 (1)— 20 
			 October 2012 0 20 
			 November 2012 (1)— 20 
			 December 2012 0 20 
			 January 2013 (1)— 20 
			 February 2013 0 20 
			 March 2013 (1)— 20 
			 April 2013 0 20 
		
	
	
		
			 May 2013 0 20 
			 (1) Denotes rounded to zero. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, with numbers ending in '5' being rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Armed Forces: Parachuting

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made of the continued requirement for a conventional force parachute capability.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 6 June 2013
	The requirement for a parachute capability was assessed and articulated within the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) October 2010—Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty, Strategic Defence and Security Review Land Forces, (page 24). Subsequent reviews of the capability requirement have reaffirmed the SDSR 2010 position, with no necessity for an interim policy review prior to SDSR 2015 identified.

Armed Forces: Pay

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will backdate the increase in pay to members of the armed forces to the start of the financial year.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 14 March 2013, Official Report, columns 14-15WS, in response to the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) 2013 report. The AFPRB's recommendation of an annual pay award of 1% was accepted in full and is effective from 1 April 2013. A decision on the recommendation to increase X-factor by 0.5%, which would result in costs for which the Department had not budgeted, was deferred.
	Subsequently, as part of the 2013 Budget on 20 March, 2013, Official Report, columns 931-45, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that the AFPRB recommendation to increase X-Factor by 0.5% would be implemented with effect from 1 May 2013.

Armed Forces: Public Transport

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on domestic public transport for military personnel, by mode of travel, in each of the last three years.

Mark Francois: The data requested is shown in the following table. This data is derived from the Joint Personnel Administration computer system, and therefore reflects what has been claimed by service personnel.
	
		
			 £ 
			  FY 2008-09 FY 2009-10 FY 2010-11 FY 2011-12 
			 Underground 102,347 111,541 110,435 114,046 
			 Bus fares 93,371 95,106 81,644 70,415 
			 Coach fares 21,698 17,683 25,686 20,040 
			 Rail fares 1,123,244 1,238,964 1,092,332 995,303 
			 Taxi fares 2,076,853 1,082,769 786,094 695,564

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of infantry soldiers had gained GCSE grades A* to C or Scottish standard grades 1 to 3 in (a) English or English language and (b) mathematics in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mark Francois: As at 3 June 2013, 22% of infantry soldiers are recorded as holding GCSE grades A* to C or Scottish standard grades 1 to 3 in English, and 15.2% of infantry soldiers are recorded as holding GCSE grades A* to C or Scottish standard grades 1 to 3 in mathematics.
	Prior to 2007, when the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system was introduced, information on qualifications was not held centrally. Any qualifications gained before that date have not therefore been recorded unless an individual soldier has updated their JPA record.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many suicides and open verdicts occurred among UK regular armed forces personnel in 2012.

Mark Francois: It is not possible to provide a final number until verdicts from all inquests have been entered. As of 4 June 2013, the number of coroner-confirmed suicide or open-verdict deaths recorded among armed forces personnel in 2012 was seven.
	Detailed analysis on deaths and suicides in the UK armed forces can be found in the following National Statistic publications produced by Defence Statistics at the end of March each year.
	Suicide and Open Verdict Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces 1984-2012 Deaths in the UK Regular Armed Forces at the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/search/index.html?newquery=suicide+armed+forces

Armed Forces: Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on facilities and training under each cost heading at (a) Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, (b) Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, (c) the Defence Academy, Shrivenham and (d) RAF Cranwell in each year since 2000;
	(2)  how much his Department plans to spend under each cost heading on facilities at (a) Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, (b) Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, (c) the Defence Academy, Shrivenham and (d) RAF Cranwell in each year until 2020;
	(3)  what savings have been achieved by his Department in the running cost of the (a) Defence Academy, Shrivenham and (d) Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 3 June 2013
	Costs for previous years for Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth (BRNC), Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (RMAS), the Defence Academy, Shrivenham (DA) and RAF Cranwell where the information is available are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Establishment Personnel Infrastructure Other Total 
			 2006-07     
			 RMAS 26.8 8.5 10.9 46.3 
			 DA 37.5 41.4 36.6 115.5 
			      
			 2007-08     
			 BRNC 9.8 0.7 2.0 12.5 
			 RMAS 50.7 8.9 9.9 69.5 
			 DA 41.1 39.5 44.5 125.1 
			      
			 2008-09     
			 BRNC 9.0 1.0 3.2 13.1 
			 RMAS 52.4 6.2 4.8 63.4 
			 DA 42.3 41.9 42.5 126.7 
			 Cranwell 52.8 15.4 47.1 115.2 
			      
			 2009-10     
			 BRNC 9.2 0.7 3.3 13.3 
			 RMAS 44.8 4.9 5.2 54.9 
			 DA 43.4 40.3 40.6 124.3 
			 Cranwell 58.9 15.8 39.0 113.7 
			      
			 2010-11     
			 BRNC 10.0 0.7 3.1 13.8 
			 RMAS 30.8 11.1 6.2 48.2 
			 DA 43.1 39.3 36.2 118.6 
			 Cranwell 59.3 14.5 26.4 100.2 
			      
			 2011-12     
			 BRNC 10.0 1.5 3.3 14.8 
			 RMAS 31.6 10.4 4.4 46.4 
			 DA 43.6 39.4 32.0 115.0 
			 Cranwell 61.1 22.6 17.4 101.2 
		
	
	The Ministry of Defence does not publish details of future budgets for individual parts of the Department. These are adjusted by the Defence Board both in-year, and in each annual budgeting cycle, to ensure that resources remain aligned with outputs.
	As regards savings achieved, the Defence Academy has achieved total savings of £31.4 million since financial year 2007-08. At the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Service manpower is the main driver for running costs and since the establishment has not changed the running costs have remained fairly constant in recent years.

Armed Forces: Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the standards of training being given by the newly commissioned Defence Explosives Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment has been established through the amalgamation of Defence Explosives, Munitions and Search School (South) based in Lodge Hill, Chatham and Defence Explosives, Munitions and Search School (Kineton) under a single regimental headquarters structure. The move has not changed the content of courses which continue to be delivered in accordance with the latest Defence regulations and standards. External validation is also conducted, with results fed back into the training system.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of recruits enlisting as minors joined each Army regiment or corps in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Murrison: The following table shows the proportion of untrained minors (soldiers under 18) entering each arm/service in the last 10 financial years:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Financial years 
			 Arm/service 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps 5.7 4.1 6.2 7.2 7.4 7.3 6.0 5.9 6.5 8.5 
			 Royal Regiment of Artillery 7.5 6.2 7.4 8.1 9.7 11.6 8.2 8.4 8.7 8.6 
			 Corps of Royal Engineers 7.2 9.7 11.7 11.1 10.4 9.9 9.6 11.0 10.9 6.6 
			 Royal Corps of Signals 8.3 7.7 7.1 6.1 4.3 4.8 8.4 6.3 4.3 7.4 
			 Infantry 37.9 36.5 33.5 35.0 37.0 37.7 37.0 46.2 44.6 40.5 
			 Army Air Corps 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 0.9 0.1 0.9 1.2 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 14.0 17.7 16.4 13.0 12.1 10.9 12.3 13.7 12.4 12.7 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 1.8 2.3 1.8 2.3 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.4 2.1 
			 Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 13.3 12.0 12.8 13.8 13.5 12.2 14.0 5.9 8.6 10.9 
			 Adjutant General's Corps (Military Provost Service and Provost Branch) 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 
			 Adjutant General's Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) 1.4 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.1 
			 Adjutant General's Corps (Unspecified) — — — — 1.5 1.7 1.2 0.1 0.4 1.0 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Corps of Army Music 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 
			 Intelligence Corps — — — — 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Unknown — — — — 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Total Minors 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Capita

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Philip Dunne: Expenditure on Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts with Capita is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year (FY) Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2008-09 4.5 
			 2009-10 13.4 
			 2010-11 16.6 
			 2011-12 10.4 
			 2012-13 55.4 
			 2013-14 (to 5 June 2013) 9.8 
		
	
	This is based on Capita's corporate structure as at 1 April 2013 and includes any payments made to companies which include ‘Capita’ in their company name. It does not include payments which may have been made on behalf of other Government Departments, by the MOD's trading funds and executive non-departmental public bodies (which lie outside the MOD's accounting boundary), locally by the MOD, through third parties such as prime contractors or other Government Departments and in relation to collaborative projects where the payments are made through international procurement agencies or overseas governments. Payments made by Government Procurement Card are also not included.
	The significant increase in spend in FY 2012-13 resulted from the commencement of a 10-year recruitment partnering contract with Capita Business Services Ltd, to deliver Army recruiting services including the transfer of this process online through the introduction of new information systems. This is expected to deliver benefits in excess of £300 million to the armed forces and will release military recruiters back to the front line.
	Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	In addition, Departments publish details of spend in excess of £25,000.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Mark Francois: Robust analysis has been applied during the design of the Enhanced Operating Model of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. This has identified the structure and roles to enable us to deliver the service outputs. Recruitment is currently under way to fill roles where required and will continue until late summer 2013.

Defence Munitions Longtown

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the additional costs that would be incurred for transport of munitions if Defence Munitions Longtown were to be closed.

Philip Dunne: No decision on the future of Defence Munitions Longtown will be made until after the spending review for 2015-16. Additional transport costs are estimated to be in the region of £0.4 million to £0.9 million per annum.

Defence Munitions Longtown

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the likely clean-up costs that would be incurred if Defence Munitions Longtown were to be closed.

Philip Dunne: In the event that Defence Munitions Longtown is no longer required for defence use, remediation costs would be dependent on the future use of the site.

Defence Munitions Longtown

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the review referred to in his letter of 25 March 2013 to Luis Eckersley at Defence Munitions Longtown will be carried out by the same team from his Department that carried out the initial review.

Philip Dunne: The review referred to in my letter of 25 March 2013 to Luis Eckersley at Defence Munitions Longtown has been completed and I shall be assessing its findings in the light of the spending review for 2015-16. I can confirm that the review was conducted by the same team from the Ministry of Defence that carried out the initial review.

Defence: Industry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed in the defence industry in the UK in each of the last three years.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence no longer compiles national or regional defence industry employment statistics as they do not directly support policy-making or operations.

Germany

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his German counterpart on whether intelligence supplied by the UK will be used for drone strikes by Germany.

Andrew Robathan: Neither I or my ministerial colleagues have had any discussions with our German counterparts on this issue.

Gulf States

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support the Royal Air Force is providing to US armed forces in the Gulf region; and what the (a) location, (b) cost and (c) purpose is of that support.

Andrew Robathan: The RAF provides support to US and other partner nation forces on a reciprocal basis in the Gulf region. This is similar to other regions of the world where UK and partner forces are co-located. It includes assistance with air transport and training or, where forces are based together such as in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE, facility management. It includes providing air-to-air refuelling, supporting ISAF forces in Afghanistan, and more long-standing arrangements for mutual support of infrastructure. A comprehensive compendium is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Gulf States

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint training missions the UK is undertaking with the US in the Gulf; and what the (a) type of training, (b) cost of training and (c) number of personnel involved is in each case.

Andrew Robathan: UK forces routinely conduct tactical training serials and exercises in the Gulf region, both with the US and with other partners. These can include ships, aircraft, as well as Defence personnel, and are aimed at improving our individual capabilities, as well as our ability to operate together. Additional details of the training serials (types, personnel and costs) are not held centrally.
	As of 6 June 2013, the UK is participating in only one multinational exercise, Shaheen Star V, which consists of six RAF Typhoon aircraft operating from the UAE with the US Air Force. The RAF has exercised in the Gulf area for many years and Shaheen Star V is the latest in a series designed to exercise with partners in a diverse and challenging environment; it involves around 150 UK personnel. The exercise concludes on 20 June 2013 and the additional cost to core expenditure is estimated to be in the region of £350,000.

Iraq Conflict

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of health problems in Iraq arising from the allied use of uranium-depleted munitions during the first and second Gulf Wars; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle such health issues in an effective and appropriate way.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 18 January 2013, Official Report, column 964W and 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 78W, to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert).

Lynx Helicopters

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what strategic advantages the use of the Wildcat helicopter in maritime operations brings; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: It is planned that the Lynx Wildcat helicopter will achieve Initial Operating Capability for the Army variant in 2014 and for the Navy variant in 2015.
	The Royal Navy Lynx Wildcat has been procured to operate from frigates and destroyers and will, like its predecessor, be earmarked for a variety of attack and defensive roles—anti-ship, anti-submarine, ship protection, casualty evacuation, battlefield reconnaissance, counter piracy, counter narcotics and general utility. From the outset, it has been designed to operate in a maritime environment. It will be fitted with the necessary sea safety features to meet legislative requirements and its sensors have been optimised to operate over the sea. The capability will be essential to both the deployment and sustainability of Royal Navy assets for all scales of maritime operations.

Military Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many spare parts his Department has exclusively available for (a) Nimrod MR2, (b) Nimrod MR4 and (c) each other type of aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Following the withdrawal from service of the Nimrod MR2 and cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 in 2010 and the withdrawal from service of the Nimrod R1 in 2011, equipment and parts that could not be re-used on other platforms were transferred to the Disposal Services Authority. Disposal is now substantially complete and the Net Book Value of remaining Nimrod spares is £0.

Military Aircraft: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training sorties have been flown over the Welsh Military Tactical Training area by (a) the Royal Air Force and (b) air force pilots from overseas in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The information is not held in the format requested. Flights within the Welsh Military Tactical Training Area are recorded as the number of individual movements and hours flown. This information is provided in the following table for fixed-wing aircraft operating below 250 feet. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hour. Helicopters do not fly in this area.
	
		
			 Training year Movements Duration hours 
			 2008-09 23 16 
			 2009-10 42 26 
			 2010-11 35 19 
			 2011-12 21 17 
			 2012-13 54 36 
		
	
	These figures include any activity by visiting aircraft, which are not recorded separately.

Military Exercises

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the recent Joint Warrior training exercises and their effect in preparing troops for combat; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Joint Warrior tri-service and multinational exercises prepares UK forces for contingent operations through integration of participating air, land and maritime forces, and interoperability with our allies.
	The most recent exercise saw the validation of UK's High Readiness Brigades and of the joint forces headquarters (the UK's standing joint operational contingent command); the preparation of UK mine warfare battle staff for operations in the Gulf; and the preparation of the UK Response Force Task Group for the annual Cougar deployment.

Pakistan: Military Bases

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when and for how long any UK armed forces personnel have been stationed at Shamsi Airbase in Pakistan; and what the purpose of such personnel deployed to that base was.

Andrew Robathan: We have no records of UK armed forces having been stationed at Shamsi Airbase in Pakistan.

Research

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been allocated for research and development funding in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

Philip Dunne: There is no fixed forward budget for research and development.
	The Department's plans for funding research through the centralised Ministry of Defence Science and Technology Programme, under the Department's chief scientific adviser, are £410 million for 2013-14 and £435 million for 2014-15, rounded to the nearest £5 million, which meets our intention to sustain science and technology investment at a minimum of 1.2% of the Defence budget. Development expenditure is applied according to the requirements of individual projects (mostly as part of the equipment programme) and the plans for funding of the development elements of these projects are not centralised.

Research and Development

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on research and development funding on unmanned air vehicles in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

Philip Dunne: Unmanned air vehicle research and development spending for the financial years (FY) 2010-11 to 2012-13, rounded to the nearest £1 million, is set out as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 2010-11 46 
			 2011-12 37 
			 2012-13 49

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the re-fit of RFA Fort Austin; and whether three replacement solid support ships will be in service in the early 2020s under the contract for the MARS vessels.

Philip Dunne: The final cost of refitting Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Austin is in the process of being assessed but is expected to be around £40 million.
	The Fleet Solid Support element of the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme is not covered by any contractual commitment at this time. The Ministry of Defence will decide its future plans once further capability investigation is complete later this decade.

Syria

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the (a) current and (b) proposed level of support for Syrian opposition forces with regard to military equipment.

Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	No decision has been made to provide lethal military equipment to the armed opposition. In terms of non-lethal assistance to the civilian opposition, the UK has so far committed over £12 million. Furthermore, on 13 May the Prime Minister announced that the UK would double its non-lethal assistance this year to £20 million. This additional assistance will be used to provide services to the Syrian people, deliver assistance to them on the ground and forge links between different communities and opposition groups.

Tornado Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the RAF's operational range requirement for the Tornado GR4 replacement is; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: There is no like for like replacement planned for the Tornado GR4 aircraft. We will maintain the combat air requirement through a combined fleet of Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter, two of the world's most modern and capable multi-role combat aircraft. We cannot comment on operational range requirements as this would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of tactical military advantages arising from the use of remote piloted air systems; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Since October 2007, Reaper, the RAF's Remotely Piloted Air System, has played a vital role supporting military operations in Afghanistan providing a persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability. A formal tactical assessment would routinely be carried out at the end of an operation; however, commanders assess and reassess tactics on a daily basis to adapt to a changing threat.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Reaper and (b) Hermes 450 vehicles have crashed and subsequently been taken out of service in each year since each model came into operation.

Philip Dunne: The numbers of Reaper and Hermes 450 Unmanned Air Vehicles that have been permanently removed from service as a result of crashes is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Reaper Hermes 450 
			 2007 0 0 
			 2008 1 2 
			 2009 0 1 
			 2010 0 2 
			 2011 0 3 
			 2012 0 1 
			 2013 to 1 June 0 0 
			 Total 1 9

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Watchkeeper training flights have taken place; what the location was of such flights; and what the cost to the public purse has been to date.

Philip Dunne: Watchkeeper has made 72 training flights to date, all from West Wales airport, Aberporth.
	Training flights are only one element of the wider Watchkeeper trials, evaluation and qualification programme and it is not possible to identify separately the costs of flying activities from other costs under the programme.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Training

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which other countries provide the Royal Air Force with Reaper conversion training; and what the (a) location and (b) cost is of that training.

Andrew Robathan: The Royal Air Force Reaper conversion course is provided through a Foreign Military Sales Agreement with the United States Air Force and is conducted at Holloman Air Force Base, USA.
	I am withholding information on the cost of training pilots to fly the Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another state.

WALES

Capita

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has had no contracts with Capita since 2008.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such payments were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office did not seek external legal advice in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, the Department sought legal advice relating to the relocation of our Cardiff office. There were three payments made for this legal advice, and this is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Supplier Amount (£) 
			 Geldards LLP 10,242.00 
			 Geldards LLP 2,509.00 
			 Geldards LLP 2,500.00 
		
	
	The Department also obtained external legal advice during 2012 on matters relating to the boundary of the Welsh devolution settlement. The Wales Office is yet to be invoiced for payment for this advice.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Stephen Crabb: Wales Office expenditure on external legal advice from Queen's Counsels was:
	(a) Between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012—£0
	(b) Since 4 September 2012—£2,244
	The Department also obtained advice from a Queen's Counsel during 2012 on matters relating to the boundary of the Welsh devolution settlement. The Wales Office is yet to be invoiced for payment for this advice.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Stephen Crabb: Wales Office expenditure on external legal advice is set out as follows:
	(a) Between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012—£15,251
	(b) From 4 September 2012—£2,244
	The Wales Office is yet to be invoiced for payment in relation to further external legal advice it received during 2012.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department since 7 May 2010 was.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has paid its external legal advisors at an hourly rate. The highest hourly rate we have paid is £220 per hour.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Arctic

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of whether the decrease in the extent of Arctic sea ice since reliable records began is statistically significant; and what statistical model his Department has used to conduct that assessment.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not commissioned any assessment of the statistical significance of long-term trends in Arctic sea-ice extent. Work undertaken under the Climate Programme at the Met Office Hadley Centre has assessed the physical reasons for the decrease in ice extent and used physically-based climate models to assess its future course ('Assessment of possibility and impact of rapid climate change in the Arctic':
	http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/p/i/HCTN_91.pdf
	We note that the downward trend in Arctic sea-ice extent, taking account of the seasonal cycle, is now well-established from satellite observations since 1979 and has been reported as being statistically significant in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Capita

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Gregory Barker: The Department has contracted Capita Business Resources, Capita Resourcing Ltd, Capita Health and Wellbeing, Capita Symonds and Capita Business Services to carry out various roles on behalf of the Department.
	The total amount spent in each financial year:
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
			 2008-09(1) 36,439,250 
			 2009-10 33,294,201 
			 2010-11 7,564,880 
			 2011-12 3,331,912 
			 2012-13 7,354,789 
			 (1 )From October 2008. 
		
	
	These figures include funds administered by Capita on behalf of the Department as well as management fees etc.

Energy: Business

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to encourage green officers in private businesses to reduce energy consumption and promote green employment.

Gregory Barker: DECC has recently provided £308,000 in grants for the purpose of promoting the take-up of more specialised energy efficiency training in the non-domestic sector among facilities managers and production line managers. In order to further develop the energy management skills of facilities managers, DECC will also be working with Asset Skills, the employer-led skills body for facilities managers, to ensure that energy efficiency is integrated into the core modules of the National Occupational Standards.
	More generally, greater energy efficiency belongs at the heart of a low carbon economy and our energy efficiency policies (including measures like the Green Deal) are spurring the development of a multi-billion pound market that is developing in technologies and supply chains.

Energy: Finance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 415W, on energy: subsidies, 
	(1)  whether there is a central database of all public subsidies given to energy companies;
	(2)  if he will consider recording public subsidies given to energy companies in the format requested;
	(3)  in what format his Department records public subsidies given to energy companies.

Michael Fallon: There is no central database of all public subsidies given to energy companies. At this time, the Department has no plans to create a central database of such payments.
	The Department maintains a financial system that captures all of the transactions it makes including payments made to suppliers. However, there is no requirement to classify payments recorded on this system as subsidies or to classify suppliers as energy companies. Therefore, pursuant to answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 415W, on energy: subsidies, the information requested could be provided only from this system at disproportionate cost.
	In addition, Ofgem administers the renewable obligations (RO) and the feed-in tariffs (FITs) schemes, which provide market-based support for large scale and small scale deployment of renewable energy generation.
	Ofgem publish data on the RO on the Renewables and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Register at:
	http://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/
	The public reports available on the register provide details of the stations accredited under the RO and details of the ROCs awarded to accredited stations.
	Details on the amount of support provided under FITs are also publically available and can be viewed at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx?docid=42&refer=Sustainability/Environment/fits

Green Deal Finance Company

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change under what terms the Green Investment Bank has awarded money to the Green Deal Finance Company.

Gregory Barker: The Green Investment Bank makes investments on a commercial basis. They have lent to the Green Deal Finance Company within the parameters of the state aid decision concerning the Green Deal (ref SA.34611). The detailed commercial terms are a matter for the bank and DECC are unable to comment on them.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many registered Green Deal providers have (a) applied for administration and (b) filed for bankruptcy since the establishment of the Green Deal;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been made unemployed since 1 January 2013 by Green Deal providers who have entered into financial difficulty.

Gregory Barker: Ministers regularly receive briefings on developments in this sector, but DECC does not hold statistics of the type requested.

Insulation: Mobile Homes

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Government is taking to ensure access to free and subsidised insulation schemes for people who live in park homes as part of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: In order to qualify for Green Deal finance, a home must first have a direct connection to a licensed energy supplier and be capable of having an energy performance certificate (EPC) produced. In the case of park homes, the methodology used to generate EPCs does not, at present, support the full range of park home construction types (this is because it was initially designed for compliance with the European energy performance of buildings directive, which does not apply to park homes). DECC is currently working with the industry to include a wider range of park homes in the methodology for a future update, which should then allow those who are directly supplied by a licensed energy provider to access Green Deal finance.
	Park homes are eligible for support under the energy company obligation (ECO). While it is for the obligated energy companies to decide whether to provide support to any particular home, and if so at what level, this could include part or full subsidy of the costs of insulation.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such sums were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012;
	(3)  how much his Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Gregory Barker: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, some information covering sums above £500 paid for external legal advice is available on the DECC website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/departmental-spend-over-500

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department since 7 May 2010 was.

Gregory Barker: DECC generally negotiates fees for legal advice at hourly rates. Therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Moreover, its publication could adversely affect the Department's ability to negotiate the best rates for future work, and it is therefore commercially confidential.

Solar Power: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on investment in solar power in UK Overseas Territories in the last two years.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not made any investments in solar power in UK Overseas Territories in the last two years.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Gregory Barker: Neither the Department of Energy and Climate Change nor its agencies receive any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that they are responsible for operating.

Wind Power: Scottish Islands

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account was taken of the potential costs to consumers of the proposed measures to bridge the funding gap for Scottish islands' wind power in his Department's report, Scottish Islands Renewables Project, published on 14 May 2013. [R]

Michael Fallon: The Scottish Islands Renewables Project was an independent study to assess the potential of, and barriers to, the development of renewables on the Scottish islands. The report shows that while there are significant potential benefits to developing renewables on the Scottish islands, there are also considerable costs that need to be overcome. The Government, with support from the Scottish Government, will use the report to weigh up the costs and benefits of renewable generation on the Scottish islands against other sources of electricity, considering the impact on the local economies and communities, and importantly on consumers across the whole of Britain.

PRIME MINISTER

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with his international counterparts at next month's G8 summit in Belfast what further steps (a) G8 countries and (b) other countries can take to reduce malnutrition in the developing world.

David Cameron: The UK joined Brazil and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation to host a major international event on 8 June on ‘Nutrition for Growth: Beating Hunger through Business and Science’.
	The event set the scene for the G8 summit which will focus on freer trade, greater tax compliance and enhanced transparency. These are essential if developing countries are to unlock resources that will enable them to tackle issues that affect the poorest people, such as hunger and malnutrition.

Eric Schmidt

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister what matters in respect of corporate tax payment he discussed with Mr Eric Schmidt on 20 May 2013.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 1253, to the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith).

Food: Retail Trade

Michael Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings (a) he and (b) staff in his Office have held with directors or staff of the top 15 food retailers in the UK in the last 12 months; and what subjects were discussed at those meetings.

David Cameron: Details of my meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website. Copies of the latest list have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Bilderberg Group

Michael Meacher: To ask the Leader of the House if he will ensure that Ministers attending the Bilderberg Conference at Watford on 6-9 June make a statement to the House afterwards reporting on the proceedings and the implications for Government policy.

Andrew Lansley: The Minister without Portfolio, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), updated the House today in response to the hon. Member's question relating to the proceedings at last weekend’s Bilderberg conference in Watford.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Office were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such sums were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought;
	(2)  how much his Office spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsels (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012;
	(3)  how much his Office spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012;
	(4)  what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Office since 7 May 2010 was.

Andrew Lansley: My Office has not paid for any external legal advice in the periods set out in the questions.

TREASURY

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the names, job titles, area of work, term of appointment and Civil Service equivalent grade are of personnel currently seconded to his Department from the big four accountancy firms.

Sajid Javid: The Treasury operates a strategic interchange policy. The Department is fully committed both to the development of its people and to securing the benefits brought to the Department by staff who have a greater depth and breadth of expertise and knowledge gained as a result of outside experience. This is managed strategically to support Treasury's continuing capability to deliver business objectives so it serves the interests of the Treasury as well as the individual. There are currently three individuals on secondment from the big four accountancy firms. For reasons of personal confidentially we do not name individuals, but the following table provides the requested information.
	
		
			 Job title Grade name Team name Length of secondment Civil service grade 
			 PPP Finance Specialist Range E Public Private Partnerships Policy One year G7 
			 Senior Policy Adviser Range E Personal Taxation Two years G7 
			 Adviser Range D Office of Tax Simplification Six months HEO

Banks: Loans

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure banks accurately explain the relationship between variations in the Bank of England base rate of interest and the interest charged on their variable rate loans.

Sajid Javid: The Government has established a new business regulator for financial services—the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)—which will protect consumers and supervise all firms to ensure that business across financial services and markets is conducted in a way that advances the interests of all users and participants.
	In relation to mortgages, the FCA is responsible for the rules lenders and intermediaries are required to meet in order to ensure consumers are appropriately informed when taking out a mortgage.
	In relation to consumer credit lending, the consumer credit act (CCA) requires that consumers are informed about the interest rate, including information on potential future changes to the interest rate.

Banks: Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 817W, on banks: loans, when he expects postcode level lending data from the banks to be publically available; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: The Government is working with industry to ensure that banks publish postcode level lending data broken down by institution. This includes working on the details of when and how the data will be made publically available.

Borrowing: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what research his Department has undertaken into the market costs of borrowing for the Scottish Government under the new powers in the Scotland Act 2012;
	(2)  what research his Department has undertaken into the market costs of borrowing for the Scottish Government under the new powers conferred by the Scotland Act 2012.

Danny Alexander: On 13 May 2013 the Government published a summary of responses to its public consultation on Scottish Government bond issuance within the parameters of the Scotland Act 2012.
	The majority of respondents believed that bonds issued by the Scottish Government would likely translate into a cost of borrowing significantly above that enjoyed by the UK Government. The factors most often cited included the perceived lower creditworthiness of the Scottish Government owing in particular to its narrower revenue base and lack of a track record in borrowing, as well as the lower liquidity of Scottish Government bonds compared with UK gilts.

Business Premises: Valuation

Ann Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests for the revaluation of business premises have been made in each region in the last five years for which data is available.

David Gauke: The following table shows the latest available statistics on proposals (appeals) received to alter the 2005 and 2010 rating lists, by region, in England and Wales, for each of the previous five financial years.
	
		
			  Financial year 
			 Region 2008-09(2) 2009-10(2) 2010-11(1,2) 2011-12(2) 2012-13(2) 
			 England and Wales 133,490 233,770 284,270 176,720 115,550 
			 England 126,380 221,070 270,120 167,730 109,830 
			 North East 5,660 9,510 11,190 7,390 4,750 
			 North West 20,580 31,310 39,650 23,060 15,440 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 12,270 23,300 27.820 14,950 10,380 
			 East Midlands 9,160 15,350 18,150 9,570 7,100 
			 West Midlands 13,820 21,710 26,530 15,810 11,150 
			 East 12,650 20,950 26,430 17,140 10,920 
			 London 25,900 50,970 51,850 42,100 25,1.60 
			 South East 16,560 28,700 44,080 22,730 13,750 
			 South West 9,770 19,280 24,420 14,980 11,180 
			 Wales 7,120 12,710 14,160 8,990 5,730 
			 (1) The 2010 rating list came into operation on the 1 April 2010 therefore there are no proposals with respect to this list for earlier financial years. (2) VOA Official Statistics, Non domestic Rates (Business Rates): Local Rating Lists: Table A1.12010: http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/NDR_TableA_All_2010.xls Table A1.1_2005: http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/NDR_TableA_All_2005.xls

Capita

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Sajid Javid: Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	In addition, Departments publish details of spend in excess of £25,000.
	HM treasury do not currently hold any contracts directly with Capita Group. However it does currently procure services from companies in Capita Group under contracts arranged centrally by other government departments, eg a Cabinet Office led contract with Capita Business Services Ltd for Civil Service Learning.
	HM Treasury spend with Capita Group since 2008:
	
		
			 Financial year (£)(1) 
			 2008-09 283,044 
			 2009-10 138,985 
			 2010-11 53,887 
			 2011-12 32,556 
			 2012-13 36,993 
			 (1) Excluding VAT

Climate Change Levy

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of industry on the Climate Change Levy.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial, meetings with external organisations, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Climate Change Levy

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the Climate Change Levy and energy-intensive industries.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Corporation Tax: Scotland

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the yields to the Exchequer from corporation tax from Scotland (a) including and (b) excluding revenues from oil and gas sources in each of the last four financial years.

David Gauke: Latest figures for onshore (excluding North sea companies) and North sea companies' corporation tax (CT) net receipts, for the UK as a whole, from 1999-2000 to 2011-12 are available in Table 11.1A of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC's) CT Statistics publication. This is available on the internet at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/ct-receipts/corporation-tax-statistics.pdf
	HMRC does not routinely produce estimates of corporation tax by region and the OBR does not forecast corporation tax split by region.
	However, with regard to onshore CT receipts from Scotland, I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 8, 9, 12 and 13 (pages 3 and 4) of the HMRC explanatory note on estimating the cost of a reduction in the CT rate in Scotland, published by HM Treasury on 13 July 2011. This contains estimates of the proportion of onshore CT for Scotland based companies looking at the years 2004-05 to 2008-09, using the postcode of their registered offices to identify them. Across these years, Scottish registered companies make up around 7% of total UK onshore CT accruals. This figure does not include the activities in Scotland of companies whose registered addresses are outside Scotland.
	A link to the detailed HMRC explanatory document is given here:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130130150421/http:/www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/files/HMRC%20Corporation%20tax%20paper%20july%202011.pdf

Corporation Tax: Scotland

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effects on the yields to the Exchequer from corporation tax from Scotland (a) including and (b) excluding revenues from oil and gas sources in the current and previous financial years of the applicable rate of tax being set at (i) 19, (ii) 18 and (iii) 17 per cent.

David Gauke: Estimates of the impact of these corporation tax (CT) rate cuts in Scotland could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	HM Revenue and Customs previously produced an estimate of the Exchequer impact of a decrease in the main rate of CT to 12.5% in Scotland. This estimate was published by HM Treasury on 13 July 2011. Links to the news article, and the detailed analysis paper are provided here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/analysis-of-corporation-tax
	The link from the gov.uk page to the HMRC explanatory paper is currently broken, so here is the link to the detailed analysis:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130130150421/http:/www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/files/HMRC%20Corporation%20tax%20paper%20july%202011.pdf

Council Tax

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications have been made to the Valuation Office requesting a reduction in council tax as a result of properties being located next to wind farms or proposed wind farm developments in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

David Gauke: The VOA would have to conduct a manual search of all its band challenges records to produce these statistics, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to review the rules on the revaluation for council tax purposes of domestic properties that have been increased in size since their last valuation.

Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	It is a long-standing feature of the council tax system that material improvements to a property (such as an extension) are only taken into account when the property is sold (a 'relevant transaction'). This is intentional, to avoid council tax becoming a 'home improvement tax'. The Government has no plans to review these rules.
	In addition, the Government confirmed on 24 September 2010 that there would be no council tax revaluation in England during the lifetime of this Parliament. The Government believes a revaluation would be expensive and unnecessary and result in higher council tax levels, especially for those who have undertaken home improvements since they bought their property.
	Indeed, it is the policy of this Government to make it easier for hard-working families to improve their homes.

Credit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he plans to take to regulate consumer credit to ensure that irresponsible firms and bad practice will have no place in the consumer credit marketplace.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government has a clear vision for the consumer credit market. We want consumers to have confidence in the system, secure in the knowledge that they can be expected to be treated fairly by firms and that, if things do go wrong, the regulator will step in swiftly and decisively to put it right.
	The Government has announced that it will transfer responsibility for regulating consumer credit from the Office for Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014.
	The FCA will take a proactive approach to regulating consumer credit markets and will focus its supervisory efforts on those areas most likely to pose a risk to consumers. It will be able to respond more quickly and flexibly to market changes through the power to make its own binding rules, making sure that regulation keeps pace with this diverse and innovative market. It will also undertake tougher scrutiny of firms entering the market, and will have strong enforcement powers to punish misconduct by firms, including the power to levy unlimited fines, ban specific products and individuals and require firms to compensate consumers who have lost out.

Credit Unions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many credit unions have been the subject of intervention by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and its predecessor bodies in the last five years.

Sajid Javid: Since 2009, 36 credit unions have been referred to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This includes six in 2013.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he will publish the findings of the consultation on legislative measures to tackle alcohol duty fraud; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he will publish the submissions to the consultation on legislative measures to tackle alcohol duty fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Government expects to publish a summary of responses and make an announcement on next steps to tackle alcohol duty fraud over the coming months.
	Any announcement will be made through the usual channels for publishing the outcome of Government consultations.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when recent representations he has received on alcohol duty fraud.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of stakeholders as part of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Excise Duties: Beer

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how he plans to monitor the effects of the reduction in beer duty on the number of pints of beer sold in the UK;
	(2)  if he will estimate the number of pints of beer sold in the UK in (a) April 2012 and (b) April 2013;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of additional pints of beer which will be sold in the UK as a result of the reduction in beer duty in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Sajid Javid: The Government monitors the effects of changes in alcohol duties through tax receipts and alcohol clearances published in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly tax bulletins.
	Beer clearance figures are published as part of the HMRC tax bulletins. Figures on beer clearances (product released for consumption) in hectolitres are published for April 2012 and will be published for April 2013.
	The estimated impact of the beer duty cut at Budget 2013 on beer consumption is presented in tables 1, 2 and 3 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 1: Effect on consumption (% to 1d.p) 
			  Beer (% to 1d.p) 
			 2013-14 2.2 
			 2014-15 2.9 
			 2015-16 3.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Effect on consumption (hectolitres) 
			  Beer—quantities product (thousand hectolitre to the nearest 50,000) 
			 2013-14 850 
			 2014-15 1,100 
			 2015-16 1,150 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Effects on consumption (pints per year) 
			  Beer—pints (rounded to nearest 50 million) 
			 2013-14 150 
			 2014-15 200 
			 2015-16 200

Excise Duties: Tobacco

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of annual revenue lost in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK as a result of tobacco fraud.

Sajid Javid: Estimates of the losses in revenue associated with illicit sales of tobacco products in the UK are published in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2012”.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps/mtg-2012.pdf
	These estimates cannot be disaggregated by country.

Financial Services: Taxation

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department plans to review its policy on a financial transactions tax.

David Gauke: The EU Commission published its proposal for implementing a financial transaction tax (FTT) under the enhanced co-operation procedure on 14 February.
	As set out in Explanatory Memorandum 6442/13, dated 19 March 2013, the UK will not be joining the enhanced co-operation FTT. The Government continues to believe that, due to the international mobility of trading, any broad-based FTT can be viable only if applied at a global level.

Housing: Valuation

Ann Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many successful appeals have been made against existing house price valuations in each region of the UK in the last five years for which data is available.

David Gauke: The number of council tax challenges that resulted in a change in each region in England and Wales for the last five financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of challenges(1) that resulted in a band decrease 
			 Area 2008-09(2) 2009-10(3) 2010-11(4) 2011-12(5) 2012-13(6) 
			 England and Wales 33,870 23,250 20,910 19,470 18,440 
			 England 31,640 21,810 19,740 18,440 17,500 
			 North East 1,090 600 1,040 640 400 
			 North West 5,510 3,460 3,150 3,750 3,970 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,410 2,880 2,840 3,220 1,920 
			 East Midlands 2,520 1,650 1,440 1,300 1,240 
			 West Midlands 2,450 1,390 1,290 1,280 1,290 
			 East 3,430 2,390 2,150 1,690 1,320 
			 London 3,440 2,690 2,170 1,610 1,840 
			 South East 5,420 3,890 3,330 2,620 3,090 
			 South West 4,380 2,860 2,350 2,330 2,440 
			 Wales 2,240 1,440 1,170 1,020 940 
			 (1) Challenges consist of: Band Reviews, proposals and appeals. (2) VOA Official Statistics, Council Tax Valuation Lists: Challenges 2008-09, Table 2.1 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/xls/200809%20CT%20Band%20Challenges%20Table%202.1.xls (3) VOA Official Statistics, Council Tax Valuation Lists: Challenges 2009-10, Table 2.1 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/xls/200910%20CT%20Band%20Challenges%20Table%202.1.xls (4) VOA Official Statistics, Council Tax Valuation Lists: Challenges 2010-11, Table 2.1 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/xls/201011%20CT%20Band%20Challenges%20Table%202.1.xls (5) VOA Official Statistics, Council Tax Valuation Lists: Challenges 2011-12 Q4, Table 5 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/xls/120503_ct_Table5.xls (6 )VOA Official Statistics, Council Tax Valuation Lists: Challenges 2012-13 Q4, Table 5 http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/CT_Challenges_2012-13%20Q4AllTables.xls

Inflation

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there were in (a) the retail prices index, (b) the consumer prices index, (c) fuel prices and (d) food prices in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date.

Sajid Javid: The statistics are shown in the following table. Data on changes in prices are available to download from the website of the Office for National Statistics:
	www.ons.gov.uk
	
		
			  Annual rate, percentage 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013(1) 
			 Retail Prices Index (RPI) 4.6 5.2 3.2 3.2 
			 Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 3.3 4.5 2.8 2.7 
			 Food prices (CPI) 3.0 5.0 3.1 4.4 
			 Motor fuel prices (CPI) 16.7 14.7 2.0 -0.9 
			 (1) Average to date.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such sums were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought.

Sajid Javid: This information is not held within the Department in the form requested, and could be provided only with disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Sajid Javid: This information is not held within the Department in the form requested, as our records of the Department's legal costs are not consistently differentiated between legal advice and legal representation, or between advice from QCs and junior members of the Bar. The information could be provided only with disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Sajid Javid: This information is not held within the Department in the form requested, as our records of the Department's legal costs do not consistently differentiate between legal advice and legal representation. The information could be provided only with disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department since 7 May 2010 was.

Sajid Javid: The information requested cannot be derived from the Department's accounting records. In order to obtain it the Treasury would be required to undertake a manual review and assessment of large volumes of records; this would be at a disproportionate cost to the Department.

Loans

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation he will undertake regarding his proposal to increase the exempt threshold for the small loans exemption limit from £5,000 to £10,000.

David Gauke: No consultation is necessary as this is solely an increase in the exemption threshold for employer provided beneficial loans. There is no other change to the legislation.
	The increase in the threshold from £5,000 to £10,000 will take effect from 6 April 2014.

Midland Expressway

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of bringing Midland Expressway Limited into public ownership.

Danny Alexander: It is not Government policy to estimate the cost of bringing privately owned companies under public ownership.

Minimum Wage

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to enforce the minimum wage.

David Gauke: HMRC enforces the national minimum wage (NMW) on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). BIS has responsibility for policy and legislation in relation to the NMW.
	HMRC, working with BIS, determines the compliance plan for NMW. The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW will pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not, HMRC will pursue recovery through the civil courts. For deliberate non-compliance or obstructive behaviour, HMRC operates a policy of selective (the most serious only) and exemplary (but across the range of offences and sectors) criminal investigations to bolster its overall enforcement strategy.

Minimum Wage

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many inspectors employed by HM Revenue and Customs were responsible for the investigation of non-payment of the national minimum wage in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013;
	(2)  how many complaints have been received by HM Revenue and Customs regarding non-payment of the national minimum wage by domiciliary care providers in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013;
	(3)  how many cases HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have investigated for the non-payment of the national minimum wage by domiciliary care providers in the last three years; how many instances of non-compliance have been discovered by HMRC through such investigations; and how many such cases related to the non-payment of travel time.

David Gauke: The number of compliance officers responsible for investigation of the minimum wage in the years requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year (at 1 April) Number of compliance officers 
			 2010 92 
			 2011 85 
			 2012 92 
			 2013 92 
		
	
	The number of complaints received by HMRC concerning non-payment of the minimum wage by domiciliary care providers for the years requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of complaints received 
			 2010-11 22 
			 2011-12 11 
			 2012-13 19 
			 2013-14 to date 7 
		
	
	In the last three years, HMRC has completed 35 investigations into employers providing domiciliary care services, identifying 15 non-compliant employers. With regard to the issue of travel time, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 405W.

PAYE

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the benefit to employers of the real-time information system;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the real-time information system to deliver time and cost savings to employers.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on 15 March 2013 that included an updated assessment of the impact that PAYE real time information (RTI) will have on businesses.
	HMRC has commissioned independent research exploring the impact of RTI on all employers in the pilot. This research is looking at confidence levels, ease and the overall impact of RTI on the employers' businesses. The findings will be used in conjunction with a wider evaluation of the pilot, which will include an assessment of the impacts on HMRC. The TIIN will be updated later this year using that evidence.

Revenue and Customs

Bob Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers HM Revenue and Customs has to inspect passports.

David Gauke: Under powers contained in section 157A of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 an officer of Revenue and Customs may require any person entering or leaving the United Kingdom to produce the person's passport or travel documents for examination. In practice this power is exercised by officers of the Home Office Border Force who exercise revenue and customs functions at the border by virtue of sections 1 and 7 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
	In addition, under powers contained in sections 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 and regulation 7 of the Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance (Administration) Regulations 2003, an officer of HM Revenue and Customs may require any person or person's making a claim for tax credits or child benefit or guardian's allowance to provide any information or evidence required to make or revise a decision in respect of any question arising out of a claim to tax credits, child benefit or guardian's allowance. In practice this may include requiring sight of a passport as evidence that the person making the claim is who he says he is or to establish his legal status in the United Kingdom.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

David Mowat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average call waiting time was for (a) domestic and (b) international callers to HM Revenue and Customs' tax enquiry line in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs only holds data in relation to average call waiting times to its tax enquiry helpline from 2011 onwards:
	
		
			  Average queue of answered calls 
			 January to March 2011 00:08:59 
			 2011-12 00:07:06 
			 2012-13 00:05:03 
			 2013-14 (April to 3 June 2013) 00:05:29 
		
	
	The Department's telephony system is unable to distinguish the difference between domestic and international callers at queue level; therefore the requested breakdown cannot be provided.
	I would also refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis) on 22 Apr 2013, Official Report, column 678W.
	HMRC periodically publishes its performance statistics at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/bus-plan-qds.htm
	And now at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-plan-indicators
	HMRC plans to publish the results for Quarter 4 (January to March 2013) in late June 2013.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that the Financial Regulation Authority publishes its report into the RBS/Ulsterbank computer system failure.

Greg Clark: Investigations into the conduct of financial services firms are a matter for the new independent financial regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence.
	Following the RBS/Ulsterbank computer system failure in June 2012, the previous regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), commissioned an independent report into the failure. The PRA and the FCA are undertaking a coordinated regulatory investigation into the circumstances surrounding the information technology systems outages that took place. Both regulators are working closely together to ensure there is not unnecessary duplication of work and, when the investigation is complete, each will decide whether it is appropriate to take any enforcement action. Should either of the regulators’ enforcement investigation conclude that formal action is appropriate, that will be made public in the usual way via a press release on the relevant regulator's website.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Sajid Javid: When producing videos we offer a transcript as well as subtitles to aid those who have hearing difficulties. We are not currently able to offer sign language alternatives but are always looking for new ways to make our digital products more accessible.

Tax Allowances: Social Enterprises

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will consult on the introduction of a new tax relief to encourage investment in social enterprises.

David Gauke: The social investment tax relief consultation was published on Thursday 6 June, as announced by the Prime Minister at the G8 Social Impact Investment Conference. The consultation will run until 6 September 2013.

Tax Avoidance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue foregone as a result of advice on tax avoidance offered by the big four accountancy firms in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The Government has made no such estimate.

Tax Evasion

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people were prosecuted for alcohol fraud in the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people were prosecuted for illegal sales, where the duty and VAT had not been paid, of (a) alcohol and (b) tobacco for each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many investigations there have been into sales of (a) illicit alcohol and (b) illicit tobacco, where the duty and VAT had not been paid, in retail outlets in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not hold information in the form requested in these two questions. They record the number of prosecutions for the offence of evasion of duty and can break down the figures between evasion on alcohol and tobacco products. The offence can be committed upon importation, possession or sale of the goods in question but HMRC does not record which of these applies to each case.
	The numbers of prosecutions for evasion of duty in the each of the last five years for which figures are available are as follows.
	
		
			  Total number of tobacco prosecutions Total number of alcohol prosecutions 
			 2008-09 186 9 
			 2009-10 124 14 
			 2010-11 214 8 
			 2011-12 167 3 
			 2012-13 265 28 
		
	
	The term “investigations” can cover many types of interventions undertaken by HMRC. These can range from inquiries being carried out by, for example, visiting officers to full-scale criminal investigations. The total number is not collated centrally and would therefore be available only at disproportionate cost.

Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 2010

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will (a) consult and (b) report on the extension of s363A Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 2010.

David Gauke: The Government will publish a consultation document on the extension of section 363A Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 2010 in July. The Government announced at Budget 2013 that changes will be made in Finance Bill 2014. All responses will be properly considered before any changes are introduced, and a draft clause will be published for consultation at autumn statement.

Taxation: Bingo

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent consideration he has given to reducing the rate of gross profit tax for bingo to 15 per cent.

Sajid Javid: The Government keeps all taxes, including bingo duty, under review.

Tonnage Tax: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vessels operating from ports in Scotland were elected into the tonnage tax scheme in each year since 2001-02; and what the total tax relief was in each year for such vessels.

Sajid Javid: The information requested is not available.

Ulster Bank

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his Irish counterpart on the sale of Ulster Bank.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
	The Government’s strategy remains to return the state-owned banks to full private sector ownership when it is right to do so. The Government does not give a running commentary, but naturally keeps its strategy towards the state-owned banks under review.

Urenco

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress the Government has made on selling its share in Urenco.

Sajid Javid: On 22 April 2013 the Government announced it will work with its international partners in the uranium enrichment company Urenco to move forward preparations for the sale of all or part of the UK's one-third shareholding. Any sale of the shareholding remains contingent upon full protection of the UK's security and non-proliferation interests, and upon achieving value for money for the taxpayer.

VAT

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the results of consultation on VAT: treatment of refunds made by manufacturers.

David Gauke: The consultation document was published on 31 May 2013 and the consultation period will end on 31 August 2013. The Government will publish its response to the views received before or alongside the publication of any draft legislation.

VAT: Exports

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will (a) consult and (b) report on options for redesigning the VAT Retail Export Scheme.

David Gauke: At Budget 2013 it was announced that the Government will consult on options for re-designing the Retail Export Scheme. HMRC plans to publish the consultation document in June. The consultation will run for three months. HMRC will publish a summary of responses to the consultation in late 2013 and this will set out the next steps.

VAT: High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 828W, on VAT High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line, when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to make a decision on whether the HS2 project will be subject to VAT.

David Gauke: In order to recover VAT incurred on the costs of constructing the railway, HS2 Ltd will have to register for VAT. To do so, it will have to satisfy HMRC that it intends to make taxable supplies, as explained in paragraph 3.12 of the May 2013 National Audit Office report. As the NAO also point out in their report, VAT represents an internal transfer within government rather than an additional cost.

Wealth: Distribution

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to tackle inequality in income and wealth in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Government’s tax policies during this period of consolidation have impacted on different income groups in different ways. The Government has continued to support people on low and middle incomes, rewarding the efforts of those who choose to work by taking real steps to make the first £10,000 of income free from tax. Taken together, the personal allowance increases announced by the Government will benefit 25 million individuals and provide a real-terms gain of £443 to most basic rate taxpayers in 2013-14. At the same time the Government's actions mean that the richest pay more tax on capital gains, more stamp duty on their homes, more tax on their pensions, and are less able to avoid or evade tax.
	The latest distributional analysis published by the Government shows that the top 20% continue to make the greatest contribution towards reducing the deficit, both as a percentage of their income and benefits in kind from public services and in cash terms.
	Universal credit will also allow people to keep more of their income as they move into work. Most of the gains from universal credit accrue to low income households, with those with the lowest incomes benefiting the most on average, while relatively higher income households see, on average, no change or a reduction in net income.

Working Tax Credit

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount in working tax credits paid to (a) all non-UK nationals and (b) non-UK EEA nationals in each of the last three years.

Sajid Javid: This information is not available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the names, job titles, area of work, term of appointment and civil service equivalent grade are of personnel currently seconded to her Department from the big four accountancy firms.

Michael Penning: There are no personnel currently seconded to my Department from the big four accountancy firms.

G8: County Fermanagh

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers and armed forces personnel from outside Northern Ireland are being deployed for the duration of the G8 summit.

Theresa Villiers: It is anticipated that there will be around 3,600 mutual aid officers from England, Wales and Scotland deployed to assist the Police Service of Northern Ireland during the G8 summit. At the request of the PSNI, the MOD will be helping to provide a safe and secure G8 summit through the provision of logistical support. The military involvement in the G8 summit is a routine feature of events such as this and will be similar to support provided to the 2005 Gleneagles summit.

G8: County Fermanagh

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what opportunities will be taken before, during and after the G8 summit to maximise tourism and inward investment potential for Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: My officials are working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that Northern Ireland gets the best from the summit. The Executive, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Tourism Ireland, Invest NI and a range of NI bodies within the public and private sector are engaging and together promoting Northern Ireland as a first class destination to visit and invest in.

Heathrow Airport

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the Northern Ireland economy of the construction of a third runway at London Heathrow airport.

Theresa Villiers: I have made no such assessment. The coalition agreement sets out the Government’s position on a third runway at Heathrow.

Invest NI

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions the Government held with the Northern Ireland Executive about the role of Invest NI in the Prime Minister's recent visit to Boston.

Theresa Villiers: The Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy, and we have regular discussions with Executive Ministers on these issues, including the contribution that Invest NI makes to promote growth and support the creation of jobs.
	The Northern Ireland Executive did not ask the Prime Minister to discuss the role of Invest NI in his recent visit to Boston in which the Prime Minister promoted trade, investment and innovation in the UK through a series of events. These included promoting the GREAT campaign by travelling with HRH Prince Harry in the New Bus for London, manufactured in Ballymena and Antrim, with Invest NI backing.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps her Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Michael Penning: My Department does not deliver services direct to the public. Should it become necessary I would seek to ensure that any services delivered were accessible including, where possible, to British Sign Language users.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the names, job titles, area of work, term of appointment and Civil Service equivalent grade are of personnel currently seconded to her Department from the big four accountancy firms.

Hugh Robertson: We do not have anyone on secondment to DCMS from the big four accountancy firms.

Aerials

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she has taken to encourage the sharing of mobile telephone mast sites between mobile network operators; and to what extent such sharing will be promoted in rural and island areas in the forthcoming review of the Electronic Communications Code.

Edward Vaizey: The sharing of mobile telephone masts is a commercial decision for the mobile network operators therefore not one in which Government can intervene. However there are existing infrastructure sharing agreements between Vodafone UK and Telefonica 02 UK (Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd) and Three UK and Everything Everywhere Limited (Mobile Broadband Network Limited). The agreements have resulted in an enhanced coverage of 2G and 3G services for users and will enable each operator to roll out 4G mobile services across the UK faster.
	The Law Commission report to Government on the reform of the Electronics Communication Code was published in February 2013. We are now considering their recommendations carefully. The report and supporting evidence can be accessed at:
	http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/areas/electronic-communications-code.htm

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 802W, on broadband: rural areas, when the independent review is expected to report; and whether it has made interim findings available to her (a) formally and (b) informally.

Edward Vaizey: The independent assurance reviewers have produced a draft report of their findings and are currently working to finalise the report for presentation to the Department in the summer of 2013.

Cambridgeshire

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what amount has been spent and in what categories of expenditure by her Department in North East Cambridgeshire constituency in each of the last five years.

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 6 June 2013
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not keep records of expenditure by individual constituency and would not be able to isolate this data without incurring disproportionate costs.

Graffiti

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will carry out an impact assessment on whether legalising graffiti art would increase the number of street artists in England.

Edward Vaizey: Marking property without the consent of the owner is criminal damage under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. In some cases graffiti can be dealt with by a fixed penalty under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2013. The Government has no plans to change the law.

Immunity Certificates

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to table secondary legislation under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 on certificates of immunity.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 3 June 2013
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), expects the secondary legislation commencing the changes to the provisions regarding certificates of immunity from listing under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 to come into force on 25 June 2013

Museums and Galleries

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on admission charges to museums containing public collections that are funded by central Government grant-in-aid; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Government is committed to the policy of maintaining free admission to the national museums and galleries.

Offences Against Children: Internet

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to assess the potential lessons to be learned for Government policy on internet safety from recent court cases of child murders.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 3 June 2013
	We keep our policies and practice on tackling child sexual abuse and for child internet safety under continual review. As a result, I have called the major internet service providers, mobile operators, search engines and social media companies in for a summit to discuss what more could be done to minimise internet harm.
	Working in partnership with law enforcement, industry and charities, we have taken significant steps to remove illegal child sexual abuse content from the internet, block access to such material, and to take action against those responsible for it.
	Through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety we also work with the internet industries, parents' and children's charities, academics, law enforcement agencies and other experts to help keep children safe online, for example by encouraging the adoption of parental controls in the home and other appropriate measures to limit children's access to harmful material wherever and however they access the internet.

Public Libraries: Suffolk

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will carry out an assessment of the performance of the Suffolk Libraries Industrial and Provident Society.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS monitors and assesses the proposals and decisions being made about changes to library services across England. However, responsibility for the assessment of the performance of Suffolk Libraries Industrial and Provident Society rests with Suffolk county council and will be carried out in accordance with the contracts terms between the council and the charity.

Science Museum Group

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will give an undertaking that the Government will provide enough public funding to the Science Museum Group in 2013-14 and each of the next two years to enable all the museums in the group to remain open.

Edward Vaizey: Operational decisions, including allocations to individual branches, are a matter for the Science Museum Group. The group has to address a projected operational deficit and is currently assessing a range of options to address this situation.

Swimming Pools

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on the location of (a) private-sector and (b) public-sector Olympic-sized swimming pools in England.

Hugh Robertson: We do not have the data in the format requested. Sport England have records of 53 Olympic-sized or larger swimming pools in England and these are as follows:
	Location
	Basildon Sporting Village
	Brightlingsea Open Air Swimming Pool
	Hitchin Swimming Centre and Fitness @ Archers Hitchin
	Inspire: Luton Sports Village
	Letchworth Outdoor Pool
	Peterborough Lido
	Sportspark
	Corby East Midlands International Pool
	Loughborough University
	Brockwell Park Lido
	Charlton Lido
	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
	Gurnell Leisure Centre
	Hillingdon Sports And Leisure Complex
	London Fields Lido
	Olympic Aquatic Centre
	Park Road Leisure Centre
	Grand Central Pool
	Liverpool Aquatics Centre
	Manchester Aquatic Centre
	Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre
	Guildford Lido
	K2 Crawley
	Surrey Sports Park
	The Mountbatten Leisure Centre
	Woodgreen Leisure Centre
	Wycombe Sports Centre
	Hengrove Park Leisure Centre
	Millfield Senior School
	Sandford Parks Lido
	Stratford Park Leisure Centre (site 1)
	The Plymouth Life Centre
	Tinside Lido
	University of Bath Sports Training Village
	Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre
	John Charles Centre for Sport
	Ponds Forge International Sports Centre
	Sunderland Aquatic Centre
	Hinksey Heated Outdoor Pool
	Shoalstone Outdoor Swimming Pool
	Parliament Hill Lido
	Hilsea Lido
	Aldershot Pools Complex
	Northcroft Leisure Centre
	Jesus Green Outdoor Pool
	Tooting Bec Lido
	Hampstead Bathing Pond
	Serpentine Lido
	Lymington Sea Water Baths
	Jubilee Pool (Penzance)

Swimming Pools

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the location of private-sector Olympic-sized swimming pools is taken into account in taking decisions on the building of new public-sector Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England take account of the location of private sector Olympic-sized swimming pools when taking decisions in investing public funding and building new public-sector Olympic-sized swimming pools.

World War I: Anniversaries

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial and logistical support she intends to offer Liverpool City Council for the centenary anniversary of World War I.

Hugh Robertson: The Government is leading the nation in acts of remembrance and enabling communities and individuals to participate in the centenary in a way which is meaningful for them. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) recently launched a £6 million small grants programme to help communities mark the Centenary of the First World War and explore their local heritage. This builds on HLF's other programmes that, since April 2010, have awarded £13 million to First World War projects. This includes funding for a project where local Black and Minority Ethnic families will be working with National Museums Liverpool to research their family history and involvement in the war. HLF has also been working with Liverpool City Council on potential applications to mark the centenary. The Imperial War Museums' Centenary Partnership is a network of over 1,000 not for profit cultural and educational organisations, including local and regional groups. This network provides access to resources, expertise, a special logo and networking opportunities and will enable millions of people across the world to discover more about life in the First World War.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the UK's policy is on supporting the creation of a pan-African regulatory licensing and approvals system, similar to the system administered by the European Medicines Agency in Europe to help increase and speed up access to HIV medicines in Africa; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: Weak regulatory capacity for medicines is a significant obstacle for access to safe, effective and affordable medicines in poor countries. Where medicines regulators lack sufficient capacity to perform their basic functions, as they do in many African countries, delays are caused to the registration and availability of new medicines for HIV and other diseases. The risks of the circulation of poor quality and dangerous medicines are also increased.
	The UK supports the long-term vision of leadership by well-functioning African medicines regulators, using transparent and accountable decision-making processes and collaborating regionally and internationally as regulators do in other regions, such as the European Union. Progress has been made in recent years. Developing countries, under the leadership of regional economic blocs, have organised to develop regulatory strengthening plans and political support is growing. The UK has supported a number of mechanisms which have been established in this area. These include the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) effort and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pre-Qualification Programme (PQP) which provides a recognised quality standard that is referred to and used by developing country medicines regulators as well as many international donors and procurement agencies.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to assist with the development of transport links to encourage tourism in each of the UK Overseas Territories that receive assistance from her Department.

Alan Duncan: DFID currently provides support to aided Overseas Territories to ensure safe and reliable access. Technical assistance is also being provided to Public Works Departments in three aided Territories for the improvement of roads and other essential infrastructure. These investments are essential to encourage tourism to these Territories. Long-term access constraints are being addressed on St Helena through the construction of an airport. On Montserrat, options to improve sea and air access are currently being explored. These investments will make St Helena and Montserrat easier to get to, bringing benefits for tourism and business.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have visited a UK Overseas Territory since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: Ministers for the DFID have made three visits to the Overseas Territories since 2010. DFID officials have made numerous visits to UK Overseas Territories since 2010. These visits have ensured that the Territories' reasonable assistance needs continue to be met, that financial management programmes are being monitored, and that options for economic growth and sustainable development are explored and, where appropriate, are supported.

China

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide advice and support to the First and Deputy First Minister from Northern Ireland following their recent visit to China to ascertain the viability of establishing a bureau in China to help foster good relations and promote inward investment.

Hugo Swire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	We encourage the devolved Administrations to promote inward investment from China to the UK and to develop wider cultural and political links with a country of growing global importance. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided support to the First and Deputy First Minister from Northern Ireland to improve their links with China and we will continue to do so.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department provides funds to any aid agencies which provide medical services to female victims of sexual violence and which also receive aid from the US and are constrained by that government's policy towards the provision of abortion services; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID does provide funding to organisations that provide sexual and reproductive health care services to women and girls, including those who are victims of sexual violence. Two examples include Programme Partnership Arrangement funding to Marie Stopes International and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Receipt of US funds by organisations does not restrict their provision of safe abortion information or services using UK funds.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the rights of women and girls who have been raped in situations of armed conflict and their right to medical treatment which may include access to a safe abortion.

Lynne Featherstone: It has not been possible to provide the information by the named day. However, I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place it in the Library of the House.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of the total UK international development budget was spent on abortion services in the last five years, by country.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Statistics for International Development (SID) 2007-08 to 2011-12 were published in May 2013. These are available at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics
	SID does not disaggregate expenditure on abortion services. However, 22% of DFID's bilateral programme was classified under the 'health' sector (£929 million).

Developing Countries: Diarrhoea

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding from the UK Aid Budget she plans to allocate to an integrated approach to confronting diarrhoeal disease incorporating oral rehydration therapy, zinc treatment, rotavirus vaccines and improvements to sanitation and hygiene.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID recognises that integration of water, sanitation and hygiene with other strategies is fundamental to achieving the necessary reach and impact on reducing diarrhoeal diseases and reducing under-nutrition.
	DFID's water and sanitation programme in Sierra Leone is closely linked to health programmes on reducing maternal mortality and improving infant health. In Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan, DFID is supporting clean water supply and sanitation facilities in schools. In addition, several high impact nutrition interventions, notably in Yemen, Nigeria and Zambia, include a strong focus on hand washing with soap and water particularly by child-carers at critical times. Providing zinc, along with other important micro-nutrients, is an important part of DFID nutrition specific activities along with hand washing.

Developing Countries: Economic Growth

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of her Department's budget was spent on economic growth and the private sector via bilateral programmes, by country, in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for 2013.

Justine Greening: Figures for bilateral aid spend on wealth creation by country are published in DFID's Annual Report. These figures are published on a fiscal year basis, with figures for the year 2012-13 due to be published shortly. DFID's Annual Reports for 2010-11 and 2011-12 can be accessed here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-volume-i
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-annual-report-and-accounts-2011-2012
	These figures do not include the indirect contribution that the rest of the aid programme makes to economic growth and economic development such as support to state and non-state investment in health and education and strengthening governance and accountability.

Developing Countries: Land

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will use the UK's 2013 G8 presidency to promote global action to develop transparency in land acquisitions.

Justine Greening: The Prime Minister has outlined an ambitious agenda for the UK's G8 presidency, aimed at advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting transparency. We will use the G8 presidency to promote responsible and productive land-based investments through greater transparency.

International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will press for the disaggregation of data by disability, age and gender in the framework that will replace the millennium development goals.

Justine Greening: Disaggregating data by numerous factors, including disability, age and gender, is a priority for the UK on the Post-2015 agenda. We are pleased that the High Level Panel, which was co-chaired by the Prime Minister, delivered a report to the UN Secretary-General that made a strong statement on disaggregating data and reaching those left behind. This is a core part of the data revolution that we are encouraging as part of the Post-2015 framework.

International Assistance

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the Government plans to ensure that (a) nomadic communities, (b) children with disabilities and (c) other marginalised groups are recognised in the post-2015 millennium development goals.

Lynne Featherstone: The Prime Minister and I have been clear on the need for the post-2015 framework to reach the poorest and most vulnerable. The UK worked hard to secure a recommendation in the recent High Level Panel report to ‘leave no one behind’, with goals and targets only ‘achieved’ once they are met for all social groups. We will continue to emphasise the need to reach everyone over the next two years of discussions on the post-2015 development agenda.

International Assistance

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she plans to take to promote an intersectoral approach to issues of water, sanitation and hygiene, infectious diseases and nutrition in the post-2015 millennium development goals framework.

Justine Greening: The High Level Panel, which was co-chaired by the Prime Minister, has recently published its report. This includes a set of illustrative goals and targets, with specific goals for universal access to water and sanitation, to ensure food security and good nutrition and to ensure healthy lives. In taking forward the recommendations of the High Level Panel, which we strongly support, the Department for International Development (DFID) will promote and encourage approaches that will tackle all three of these goals in an integrated way.

International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 281W, on international assistance, what the Government's vision is of a data revolution for the next development framework.

Justine Greening: A data revolution would see policy makers in the private and public sectors promote open access to and use of data, encouraging citizen engagement and participation in monitoring progress; integrate statistics into decision making; and work now to ensure a baseline for post-2015 targets is in place by January 2016. It would also include disaggregating data by a range of factors for all targets, ensuring that the new framework reach the poorest and most vulnerable. The proposals for a data revolution and a global partnership on development data are important contributions by the High Level Panel.

International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 281W, on international assistance, by which variables the Government wishes to see data disaggregated in the framework that will replace the millennium development goals.

Justine Greening: The UK believes that it would be helpful for the data for all goals and targets to be disaggregated by gender, disability, age, income (especially for the bottom 20%), location, and relevant social group. The relevant social groups will need to differ from country to country to ensure that we reach the most marginalised; for example, caste would be relevant in some but not all countries. The HLP report recommended that targets should be only considered to have been achieved if they are met for all of these groups. This is a core part of the data revolution that we are encouraging as part of the Post-2015 framework.

International Assistance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department plans to take forward the recommendations in the report by the High Level Panel on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: I am delighted with the bold and ambitious report put forward by the High Level Panel, co-chaired by the Prime Minister, and with its good reception by other countries and civil society organisations. The UK is working intensively with others to ensure that the report's recommendations are reflected in ongoing discussions within the United Nations, including in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and at the Special Event on MDGs in September.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by her Department since 7 May 2010 was.

Alan Duncan: DFID's central finance records do not enable tracking of external legal expenditure by daily rate. It is therefore not possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she intends to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Bury South dated 8 May 2013 regarding her Department's use of private sector contracts.

Justine Greening: A reply was sent on 7 June 2013.

Overseas Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of her Department's budget was spent via (a) multilateral organisations and (b) bilateral programmes in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for 2013; and if she will list those organisations and programmes.

Justine Greening: As detailed in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts, the bilateral and multilateral spend for the previous two financial years is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Bilateral (£ million) Bilateral (%) Multilateral (£ million) Multilateral (%) 
			 2010-11 actual spend 4,408 48 3,192 42 
			 2011-12 actual spend 4,256 56 3,344 44 
		
	
	Details of the organisations and programmes funded can be found within each of the annual reports for the relevant year, which are available on the Department's website:
	2010-11 Annual Report
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-volume-i
	2011-12 Annual Report
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012
	The Department's Annual Report containing details for 2012-13 is to be published shortly and will be available on the DFID website.

Overseas Companies: Mining

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to improve the transparency of UK-based extractive industries operating abroad.

Justine Greening: The UK has made transparency one of its main priorities at the 2013 G8. This weekend the UK hosts 'Open for Growth: Transparency Revolution' where G8 countries, partner Governments, companies and civil society will make commitments on transparency. The Prime Minister has announced that the UK will implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) by which companies publish what they pay and Governments what they receive from oil, gas and mining. The UK is a strong supporter of the EITI which has 39 implementing countries so far. The UK has also successfully agreed strong EU rules in the accounting directive to ensure that UK listed and large oil, gas, mining and forestry companies report the payments they make to Governments in all countries.

Palestinians

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  which projects her Department funds in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
	(2)  what support her Department is giving to Palestinians living in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Alan Duncan: A number of our projects benefit those living in Area C. We support the Norwegian Refugee Council to provide free legal support and advice to vulnerable families and communities at risk of displacement. We also support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide essential services to Palestinians living in the west bank and East Jerusalem. In 2009-10, we provided £1 million to provide emergency aid to Palestinians in the OPTs. Through our new Palestinian Market Development Programme (PMDP) we will aim to strengthen the competitiveness of the Palestinian private sector, including those companies able to work in Area C.

Palestinians

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the relative poverty of Palestinians living in (a) Area C, (b) Areas B and A and (c) East Jerusalem.

Alan Duncan: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) does not produce separate poverty data for areas A, B and C in its annual reporting. However, reports from other sources, including the World Bank, NGOs and the UN, have repeatedly highlighted that poverty and living conditions in Area C and East Jerusalem are of particular concern.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Alan Duncan: DFID is predominantly engaged in commissioning, managing and evaluating the delivery of projects by third parties overseas and is not involved in the provision of services directly to communities.
	Neither British Sign Language (BSL) nor British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language (BANZSL) are used commonly in DFID operating countries.
	Where practicable and appropriate DFID works to deliver on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED Section 149 Equality Act 2010) through procurement and contractual relationships.

South Sudan

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Jonglei State, South Sudan; and what access is being provided by the Government of South Sudan to humanitarian and other non-governmental organisations.

Lynne Featherstone: We remain extremely concerned about the conflict in Jonglei and the civilian suffering it is causing. We have raised our concerns with the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. Along with our international partners, in a statement on 18 May 2013 we stressed the need for all armed actors to ensure the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian space and access. We will continue to work closely with the UN and other partners to improve the provision of humanitarian support.

St Helena

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of St Helena on the (a) current water supply infrastructure and (b) anticipated demand following the opening of the airport and increased tourism; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID officials are in close contact with the St. Helena Government (SHG) on both the state of the island's water infrastructure and anticipated demand for water after the opening of the airport. They have been working with SHG to help them improve the infrastructure to keep up with future demand and current work includes projects to upgrade and improve the water distribution system.
	All SHG Directorates incorporate anticipated demand from an increased population after the airport opens into their planning.

Staff

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's staff was based (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; and what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for 2013.

Justine Greening: The following table shows the proportion of DFID staff based in the UK and overseas:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  UK Overseas 
			 2010 53.3 46.7 
			 2011 52.6 47.4 
			 2012 49.4 50.6 
			 2013 48.8 51.2 
			 Notes: 1. Based on full-time equivalent. 2. Data as at end of March each year.

Syria

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what latest assessment she has made of and what aid the UK is supplying to the humanitarian situation in Syria in response to that situation.

Justine Greening: Since the start of the conflict in Syria more than 80,000 people have been killed. 6.8 million are in need, including at least 4.25 million who have been forced to flee their homes to other areas of the country. There are a further 1.6 million refugees in the region.
	The UK's total funding for Syria and the region to date is £171 million. UK Aid is already funding food for over 251,000 people a month, water for over 900,000 people and we have provided over 288,000 medical consultations. Our support is reaching people in all 14 governorates of Syria, as well as refugees in the neighbouring countries. The UK is already a leading donor in the humanitarian response, and is considering how best to respond to the second UN-led Appeals. We are urging the international community to step up and play their part, including fulfilling donor pledges made at the conference on Syria organised by the UN and Kuwait in January 2013.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that her Department operates, including but not limited to (a) a share of call revenue, (b) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (c) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Alan Duncan: The Department does not receive any financial or non-financial benefits from its telephone providers for the lines that the Department operates.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what monitoring her Department is undertaking on the effect of drone strikes on livelihood strategies in the areas affected.

Justine Greening: DFID receives regular reports on persons displaced by conflict, including countries affected by drone strikes. These are not disaggregated by specific cause but provide sufficient information to assess and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received of the movement of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan who have been displaced as a result of drone strikes.

Justine Greening: DFID does not receive reports on persons displaced by conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan that are disaggregated by specific cause.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of the effect of drone strikes on the security of (a) locally engaged and (b) other staff of her Department in the affected areas.

Justine Greening: DFID prioritises the safety and well-being of all of its staff. The Department maintains an up-to-date assessment of all security risks to staff and regularly reviews safety measures.

Zimbabwe

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports she has received on the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

Lynne Featherstone: We regularly receive and monitor reports on the current environment in Zimbabwe ahead of the crucial elections from a variety of sources, including international NGOs, local civil society organisations, the media and all three political parties in Zimbabwe (for example discussions at Friends of Zimbabwe in London earlier this year—including meeting the Deputy Prime Minister during the Nutrition for Growth summit last weekend).
	It is vital that elections, when held, be conducted freely and fairly and without fear of violence or intimidation. We do not want to see a repeat of the violence in 2008. Work still remains to be done to fully implement the reforms agreed by the three political parties in the Global Political Agreement (GPA), before elections are held. We welcome Southern African Development Community's lead role as guarantor of the GPA in its efforts to secure peace and democracy for Zimbabweans.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

European Parliament Elections

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission intends to take to increase turn-out for the 2014 European elections.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it will run a public awareness campaign ahead of the European Parliamentary election in 2014. The focus of the campaign will be on making sure people are registered to vote and know how to participate in the elections.
	The Commission's campaign will include TV, radio, press and online advertising. It will be particularly targeted at under-registered groups, including British citizens living overseas, most of whom will be able to vote for the first time since the 2011 UK Parliamentary Voting System referendum.
	As with all of its campaigns, the Commission will carefully consider how best to ensure value for money by using the most cost effective media channels.

CABINET OFFICE

Apprentices

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many apprentices are employed in 10 Downing Street.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. 18 apprentices are employed in Cabinet Office as at 4 June 2013.

Behavioural Insights Team

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the work of the Behavioural Insights Team on the Department for Work and Pensions policy areas; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Behavioural Insights Team has been working with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions in a number of areas. Initial indications appear promising. A full assessment will be conducted when this work is complete. As is common practice with the work of the Behavioural Insights Team, our aim is to publish a full report on gov.uk. This report will contain details of all of the work conducted including the relevant results, methods and background research.

Big Lottery Fund

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the income of the Big Lottery Fund in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 6 June 2013
	The income for the Big Lottery Fund for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is available in the Big Lottery Fund's annual reports:
	www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/index/about-uk/corporatedocs.htm
	Big Lottery Fund's income for 2012-13 will be published in this year's annual report shortly.
	Their income for 2013-14 and 2014-15 is estimated at £740 million, based on forecasts from DCMS.

Conditions of Employment: Medway

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are working on zero hours contracts in (a) Gillingham and Rainham constituency and (b) Medway.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people are working on zero hours contracts in (a) Gillingham and Rainham constituency and (b) Medway (158700).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Estimates of the number of zero hour contracts are not available from this source. Estimates of the number of people on zero-hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey, but due to sample size are not available for areas smaller than regions.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the IMOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Emergencies

William Bain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what provisions he has made to ensure that the communication needs of citizens with hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairments are included in civil contingencies planning.

Chloe Smith: The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and its supporting framework, which was reviewed and revised under the Cabinet Office's Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme in 2012, places duties on Category 1 responders such as the emergency services and local authorities to, among other things, maintain arrangements to warn the public, provide information and advise the public if an emergency is likely to occur or has occurred. It also sets out how such responders should plan for and meet the special needs of potentially vulnerable people, including those who may have difficulty understanding warning and informing messages. Further information is provided in Identifying People Who Are Vulnerable in a Crisis which provides support to emergency planners and responders to develop local action plans for identifying groups of people who may be vulnerable in an emergency.

Employment

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the employment rate was in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each year since 2007.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the employment rate was in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in each year since 2007 (158719).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Statistics for Scotland and the UK have been compiled on a comparable basis.
	Table 1 shows the percentage of people aged 16 to 64 resident in the requested areas who were employed, according to survey responses, in the 12 month period ending in December 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month periods ending in December from 2007 to 2011 from the APS.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Percentage of people aged 16 to 64 in employment 
			 12 months ending December Paisley and Renfrewshire North Scotland United Kingdom 
			 2007 73.5 73.8 72.4 
			 2008 76.9 73.5 72.1 
			 2009 73.9 71.9 70.5 
			 2010 70.1 71.0 70.1 
			 2011 71.0 70.7 70.0 
			 2012 73.2 70.6 70.6 
			 Source: Annual Population Survey Trusted Statistics—Understanding the UK

Freedom of Information

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how his Department will implement the proposed changes to the calculation of charges attached to Freedom of Information requests.

Francis Maude: The Response to the Justice Committee's Report, Post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, published last November, made it clear that Government is considering options to reduce disproportionate burdens on public authorities.

Immigration

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many immigrants entered the UK from (a) outside and (b) inside the EU in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants entered the UK from outside and inside the EU in each of the last three years (158585).
	ONS produces estimates of Long-Term International Migration (LTIM), primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). The IPS is a continuous voluntary sample survey conducted by ONS and is the prime source of long-term international migration data for the UK providing estimates of both inflows and outflows.
	Latest available data show that in the year to September 2012, 148,000 EU citizens and 273,000 non-EU citizens arrived in the UK. These estimates do not include British citizens. 79,000 British citizens arrived as long-term international migrants in the same year.
	Table 1 shows these figures for each of the last three years of available data.
	
		
			 Year ending September EU citizens Non-EU citizens British citizens 
			 2010 182,000 326,000 92,000 
			 2011 166,000 334,000 81,000 
			 2012 148,000 273,000 79,000

Public Sector: Procurement

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  which (a) local authorities and (b) other public sector bodies have been contacted as a result of concerns raised via the public procurement Mystery Shopper Scheme;
	(2)  how many businesses in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) East Ayrshire have contacted the public procurement Mystery Shopper Scheme.

Chloe Smith: This information can be found in the results of Mystery Shopper investigation that are published online:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mystery-shopper-results

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Sir Malcolm Bruce), on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 475W.

Social Enterprises

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the role of women in social enterprises.

Nick Hurd: Social enterprises contribute £55 billion to the UK economy, and employ over 2 million people. Women play an important role in the sector. A recent Cabinet Office report showed that 43% of social enterprises were either majority led by women, or women made up half of the management team.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office and its agencies do not receive any financial or non-financial benefit from their telephone lines.

Unemployment: Older People

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people over the age of 64 years in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK who were unemployed in each year since 2007;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people between 55 and 64 years in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK who were unemployed in each year since 2007.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking for the number of people over the age of 64 years in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK who were unemployed in each year since 2007 (158721) and the number of people between 55 and 64 years in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK who were unemployed in each year since 2007 (158722).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age bands in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency are not available due to small sample sizes.
	In Table 1, I have provided the number of people who were unemployed according to survey responses, for the requested age bands for the 12 month period ending December 2012, the latest available period, and the 12 month periods ending December from 2007 to 2011 from the APS for Scotland and the UK.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the tables based on survey results.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of unemployed people aged 55 to 64 and 65 and over 
			  Scotland United Kingdom 
			  Aged 55-64 Aged 65 and over Aged 55-64 Aged 65 and over 
			 12 months ending:     
			 December 2007 8  125 13 
			 December 2008 9 — 134 13 
			 December 2009 16 — 196 19 
			 December 2010 16 — 194 19 
			 December 2011 17 — 207 23 
			 December 2012(1) **18 ****— *208 ***21 
			 ‘—’ not available. (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey

Voluntary Work: Young People

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what evaluation he has made of the participation rates, according to quintile of Index of Multiple Deprivation, of participants in the National Citizen Service; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The 2011 National Citizen Service (NCS) pilot evaluation showed that those from more deprived socio-economic backgrounds were well represented in NCS, with 23% of participants being in receipt of free school meals, compared with 14% per cent of the general population of 16-year-olds. Participants were also more likely to be non-white and to have a disability or long-term health problem.
	The evaluation of NCS 2012 programmes is due for publication shortly. Early indications are that the success of 2011 in ensuring a diverse intake of Young People for NCS has been repeated, with participants in both summer and autumn programmes in 2012 more diverse than the social mix found in the general population, including recipients of free school meals.
	NCS is available to young people in all areas of England for summer and autumn 2013 and throughout 2014.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Domestic Violence

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on improving the detection and reporting of incidents of domestic violence.

Jeremy Browne: The Government has introduced new initiatives to improve the reporting of domestic violence. These include piloting the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme and Domestic Violence Protection Orders to provide better protection for victims. Detections are, of course, a matter for the police.

Dangerous Criminals

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to target dangerous criminals who use firearms.

Damian Green: The Government have introduced in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill tougher penalties for criminals who supply illegal firearms.
	They are as guilty as those who pull the trigger and they should also face the possibility of a life sentence.

Gun Laws

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of existing gun laws.

Damian Green: Firearms control in the UK is among the toughest in the world. This shows clearly that neither this Government nor wider society will tolerate gun crime.
	We keep these laws under review to ensure they remain appropriate, proportionate and properly implemented. This includes strengthening the guidance to police to reflect recommendations of recent reviews including the HASC report on Firearms Control.

Immigration

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce immigration.

Mark Harper: The most recent statistics show another significant fall in net migration—down by more than a third since June 2010. Immigration has fallen by 100,000 in the last two years and is now at its lowest level since 2003.
	Our tough policies continue to bring immigration back under control and the latest figures mark a further step towards bringing net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament.

Net Migration

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure that net migration continues to fall.

Mark Harper: The most recent statistics show another significant fall in net migration—down by more than a third since June 2010. Immigration has fallen by 100,000 in the last two years and is now at its lowest level since 2003.
	Our tough policies continue to bring immigration back under control and the latest figures mark a further step towards bringing net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament.

Policing

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she next expects to discuss policing with the Police Federation.

Damian Green: Both I and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), regularly meet representatives of the Police Federation and other policing partners to discuss a wide range of issues, and we greatly value these meetings. We will continue to engage with police officers and staff to ensure that their opinions help to shape the future of policing.

Community Resolutions

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the use of community resolutions for offences of serious violence.

Jeremy Browne: Community resolutions empower police officers to deliver swift and effective justice taking into account the needs of the victim.
	This Government is clear that community resolutions should only be used for less serious, primarily first time offences. They should not be used to divert suitable cases from court, particularly in cases of serious violence.

Asylum

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been granted permission to remain in the UK in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: There were 5,195 grants to main applicants at initial decision in 2010; 5,649 in 2011 and 6,065 in 2012. Grants consist of asylum, humanitarian protection, discretionary leave and indefinite leave to remain under private and family life rules.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on asylum decisions within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics January-March 2013 is available from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
	and will be placed in the Library of the House.

Asylum

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the results were of the cohort analysis of asylum in respect of the proportion of asylum applicants who were (a) granted asylum or humanitarian protection and (b) unsuccessful, including after appeal.

Mark Harper: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answer of 16 May 2013, Official Report, columns 341-42W.

Asylum: Finance

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people claimed section 4 support in (a) Gloucester constituency, (b) the South West and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The Home Office publishes data on section 4 support on a quarterly basis and annual basis. Table 'as_18_q' contains figures on the total number of asylum seekers supported, as well as the total grants of section 4 support during each quarter.
	Although these figures are not disaggregated by constituent country down to constituency level, they do provide the requested data on a national level.
	The latest quarter's publication provides quarterly data from 1 July 2005 to 31 March 2013 and can be found in the Library of the House, and on the following website:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/tables-for-immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2013
	The next release is scheduled for 29 August 2013 and will include data covering the period from 1 April to 30 June 2013.

Asylum: Syria

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals of Syrian nationality have been granted asylum in the UK since March 2011.

Mark Harper: There have been 1,030 grants of asylum, 27 grants of humanitarian protection, 17 grants of discretionary leave and no grants of indefinite leave to remain under private and family life rules to main applicants of Syrian nationality between 1 March 2011 and 31 March 2013 at initial decision.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on asylum decisions within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics January to March 2013, is available from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
	and will be placed in the Library of the House.
	In order to provide figures for the time period requested a subset of the published quarterly National Statistics has been included for the month of March 2011.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the removal of 1,136,000 DNA profiles from the national DNA database.

James Brokenshire: The costs of profile destruction cannot be disaggregated from the other costs of operating the National DNA Database.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of DNA profiles that have been removed from the national DNA database that will be put back on the database in the next three years; and what the total cost to the public purse will be of such a process.

James Brokenshire: No such estimate has been made.

Firearms

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications of 3D printers in the UK producing plastic firearms.

Damian Green: The manufacture and possession of firearms in Great Britain is subject to control under the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended). Within the Act, a range of offences exist covering the illegal possession of firearms. Anyone found to be in possession of a firearm in this country without legal authority will be liable to prosecution under the Act. In terms of the 3D printed gun, we are working closely with our partners, including the police and experts, to assess other implications.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of European cooperation through SIENNA protocols in combating human trafficking into the UK.

Mark Harper: Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA) is the Europol IT system used to exchange crime related information and intelligence between Europol, EU member states and third parties that have an operational agreement with Europol. Europol support efforts to tackle human trafficking across Europe.
	The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. Europol falls within the scope of that decision and its value to the UK is being reviewed accordingly.
	The UK must also decide by 30 July 2013 whether to opt into a new proposal for a Regulation to replace the current Europol legal base. As with all opt-in decisions we will put the national interest at the heart of our decision making, considering the impact on security, civil liberties, the integrity of the UK common law systems and control of immigration.

Human Trafficking

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to improve knowledge of human trafficking amongst social workers in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Mark Harper: Law enforcement and social services are matters devolved in Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, is a member of the UK Government's Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group for Human Trafficking. The Group coordinates and influences anti-trafficking activities throughout the UK.
	In January 2013 the Home Office provided funding, totalling £74,274, to three non-governmental organisations in England and Wales to provide awareness-raising activities for front-line professionals including social workers, criminal justice workers, youth offending teams and local authority personnel.

Human Trafficking

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Minister for Children and Young People in the Scottish Government on improving knowledge of human trafficking amongst social workers in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency and (b) Scotland.

Mark Harper: Law enforcement and social services are matters devolved in Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, is a member of the UK Government's Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group for Human Trafficking. The Group coordinates and influences anti-trafficking activities throughout the UK.

Members: Correspondence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Harrow West of 3 April 2013 and 20 May 2013 to the UK Border Agency regarding Ms Alpa Odedra of Harrow.

Mark Harper: A Home Office senior official wrote to the hon. Member on 5 June 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target her Department sets for answering letters from hon. Members.

Mark Harper: The target for responding to letters on immigration and border related issues is to answer 95% within 20 working days.
	The target for all other letters is 95% within 15 working days.

Police: Freedom of Information

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received representations from (a) West Yorkshire Police and (b) South Yorkshire Police that they require more resources to deal with freedom of information requests.

Damian Green: South Yorkshire has indicated that they are considering making an application for a Special Grant in relation to the work they are undertaking on the Hillsborough investigations. This work includes maintaining the archive and responding to requests for information.
	No representations have been received from West Yorkshire.

Police: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will collect data on police recruitment levels in deprived areas.

Damian Green: The Government has no plans to collect data on police recruitment from deprived communities. To do so would put an unjustifiable additional bureaucratic burden on police forces.

Police: Training

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes there have been to the charging policy in respect of training of police constable recruits in police training colleges.

Damian Green: There have been no changes to the charging policy in respect of training of police constable recruits in police training colleges.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to implement the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

James Brokenshire: The Home Department has implemented the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 via the issue of the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Information Note ‘The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012—advice for commissioners and procurers’ to its entire procurement community.

Telephone Services

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payment has been received by (a) her Department and (b) each police force in England for paid-for mobile telephone calls to the emergency 111 telephone number since the inception of that service.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	No payment has been received by the Department of Health, or any police force in England for paid-for mobile telephone calls to the NHS 111 telephone number since the inception of the service.
	NHS 111 is free to the caller from landlines, mobiles and payphones. The cost of this is picked up by NHS England.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the introduction of the bill to ban wild animals in circuses; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) on 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 784.

Beaches: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Northumbrian Water about improving water quality on (a) Saltburn beach and (b) other beaches in the north east of England.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Northumbrian Water about the water quality of Saltburn beach or other beaches in the north east of England. The Environment Agency is working closely with Northumbrian Water to identify improvements to be made in the next round of water company expenditure.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many TB breakdowns there were in England in each of the last three years; how many multiple reactor breakdowns there were in each year; how many TB herd breakdowns there were in each county; and how many multiple reactor breakdowns there were in each county.

David Heath: Statistics are not routinely produced on multiple reactor breakdowns. Statistics are produced on new herd incidents, and these are recorded irrespective of the number of reactors.
	
		
			  Total number of new herd TB incidents in England in each of the last three years 
			 2010 3,634 
			 2011 3,760 
			 2012 3,930 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of new TB Incidents in the north region in each of the last three years 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Cheshire 95 95 116 
			 Cleveland 0 0 1 
			 Cumbria 12 13 12 
			 Durham 3 3 0 
			 East Yorkshire 6 3 5 
			 Greater Manchester 1 1 4 
			 Lancashire 21 4 9 
			 Lincolnshire 8 9 8 
			 Merseyside 0 1 2 
			 Northumberland 4 8 2 
			 North Yorkshire 15 16 25 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 11 6 
			 Shropshire 294 304 355 
			 South Yorkshire 2 2 5 
			 Staffordshire 267 340 310 
			 Tyne and Wear 0 0 0 
			 West Yorkshire 8 8 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of new TB incidents in the east region in each of the last three years 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Bedfordshire 2 2 2 
			 Berkshire 7 6 11 
			 Buckinghamshire 14 11 8 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 3 2 
			 Derbyshire 114 133 158 
			 East Sussex 14 19 11 
			 Essex 8 3 8 
			 Greater London 1 0 0 
			 Greater London (East) 1 0 0 
			 Hampshire 25 30 13 
			 Hertford 4 2 3 
			 Isle of Wight 3 1 2 
			 Kent 5 7 6 
			 Leicester 52 35 44 
			 Norfolk 5 1 4 
			 Northamptonshire 8 9 16 
			 Oxfordshire 35 48 38 
			 Suffolk 4 3 0 
			 Surrey 4 4 1 
			 West Sussex 10 3 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of new TB incidents in the west region in each of the last three years 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Avon 102 116 121 
			 Cornwall 381 423 399 
			 Devonshire 801 757 859 
			 Dorset 154 161 159 
			 Gloucestershire 215 234 226 
			 Hereford and Worcester 380 375 422 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 
			 Somerset 303 312 306 
			 Warwickshire 47 58 46 
			 West Midlands 4 2 5 
			 Wiltshire 187 184 193

Bovine Tuberculosis: Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the Northern Ireland Executive on bovine tuberculosis.

David Heath: The Government's policy on bovine TB relates to England only. The devolved Administrations are taking forward their own strategies to tackle bovine TB in cattle. However, we work very closely together and liaise regularly with Northern Ireland and the other UK administrations on bovine TB.

Cattle: Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to keep and publish records of the breeds of cattle involved in attacks on people;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to keep and publish records of the breeds of cattle which are involved in accidents;
	(3)  if he will make it his policy to keep and publish records of the breeds of cattle involved in fatal and non-fatal accidents.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keeps records of all incidents (accidents and complaints) that are reported to it. Certain incidents (accidents) are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (as amended) (RIDDOR).
	There is no requirement under RIDDOR or other health and safety legislation for breeds of cattle involved in incidents to be reported to HSE. The breed of the cattle will only be recorded by HSE where it is relevant to the investigation of a specific incident.

Common Agricultural Policy

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential costs for British farmers of the greening of the common agricultural policy;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to negotiating an opt-out for British farmers to the greening of the common agricultural policy;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of progress in negotiations for the greening of the common agricultural policy; and what his priorities are for British farmers in this respect.

David Heath: holding answer 3 June 2013
	Common agricultural policy (CAP) reform negotiations are ongoing. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I have argued for the greening of Pillar 1 that delivers meaningful environmental outcomes across the EU and for the strengthening of Pillar 2 outcomes without bringing undue administrative burden and cost. These remain the UK objectives and we will consider how the agreed greening provisions line up in the final CAP reform package of measures.

Common Agricultural Policy

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has made to the European Commission regarding the reform of the common agricultural policy to achieve flexibility within the policy to reflect the agricultural diversity of the different regions of the UK.

David Heath: holding answer 3 June 2013
	Securing greater clarity on the regional implementation of the common agricultural policy (CAP) has been a key priority for the UK and the devolved Administrations in discussions with other member states and the European Commission throughout the current round of CAP reform negotiations.
	At the EU Agriculture Council in March 2013, the UK secured a new article in the legislation to give greater clarity on the regional application of the CAP.

Environment Agency: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were employed by the Environment Agency in the North East in each year since 2008.

Richard Benyon: The number of staff employed by the Environment Agency on permanent and temporary contracts in the North East region as at 31 March is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Full-time equivalent 
			 2007-08 940.1 
			 2008-09 967.3 
			 2009-10 979.8 
			 2010-11 837.1 
			 2011-12 813.4 
			 2012-13 897.5

Fisheries

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to bring forward an aid package for fishermen to cover expenses incurred by them as a result of poor weather conditions and recent gear requirement changes.

Richard Benyon: The UK Government has no plans to provide an aid package for fishermen to cover any expenses incurred as a result of poor weather conditions or to replace existing gear.
	As fisheries are a devolved issue it would be a decision for Northern Irish Ministers whether to offer such incentives for Northern Irish fishermen. I understand that the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development has recently announced that financial resources will be made available to Northern Irish fishermen under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) should they decide to replace existing gear.

Flood Control: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department made available to (a) London boroughs, (b) the Mayor of London and (c) other agencies for flood prevention within London in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; what funding for these purposes has been made available in 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Flood and Water Management Act (2010) designated local-authorities as Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) with responsibility for managing flood risk from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. The London boroughs and the Environment Agency work together as risk management authorities to reduce the risk of flooding in London. The Mayor of London is not a flood risk management authority and does not receive funding.
	Revenue funding has been made available for local authorities to carry out their duties under the Act, for example to investigate and address flood risk problems, maintain a public register of Flood Risk Management assets and conduct routine maintenance. Funding was allocated according to the flood risk in each LLFA area and full details of the allocation for each one over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015) can be found on the following website:
	www.gov.uk
	In the previous spending period, following the Pitt Review of 2008, funding was also provided to London boroughs via the London Consortium for Early Actions work. This funding totalled £3.286 million and was spent between August 2009 and March 2011.
	In 2010-11, DEFRA provided a grant to the London borough of Sutton for property level protection and resilience measures to 47 properties, costing a total of £221,000.
	Risk Management Authorities bid for grant capital funding to implement measures to reduce the risk of flooding. The funding (for new and improved flood risk management schemes) is allocated to individual schemes on a prioritised basis rather than by borough. The capital funding for London boroughs and the Environment Agency in each year between 2010-11 and 2013-14 is outlined in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 30.5 
			 2011-12 18 
			 2012-13 16.7 
			 2013-14 30.2 
		
	
	Funding sources include Government funding (referred to as Flood Defence Grant in Aid), Local Levy (which is raised by the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee), and in 2012-13 and 2013-14, partnership funding contributions which may be raised locally.
	We are on course to spend £2.3 billion on reducing the risk from flooding and coastal erosion over the four years to 2015. Partnership Funding has so far brought forward up to £148 million of contributions over the four years to 2015. This extra funding is helping to deliver better protection to more communities than was previously thought possible.

Floods: Insurance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in talks with the insurance industry about access to insurance against flood damage for homes in the most at-risk areas; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: We have made significant progress in discussions with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) on how its 'Flood Re' proposal could be made to work. This is a complex issue and so far no deal has been reached, but we aim to conclude negotiations as soon as possible. Members of the ABI will continue to abide by the Statement of Principles (SoP) for a further month, until 31 July, to allow more time for an agreement to be reached.
	Please be assured that we are working hard across Government to secure a solution in advance of the deadline, and that we will be making an announcement as soon as it is possible to do so.

Food: Industry

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have held with directors or staff of the top 15 food producers in the UK in the last 15 months; and what subjects were discussed at those meetings.

David Heath: The Department does not categorise the top 15 food producers. However, we do identify separately the five largest food manufacturing companies, for which DEFRA has a co-ordinating role across Government in managing relations at a strategic level. Ministers or senior officials have met directors or staff of these five companies (Associated British Foods, Nestle, Unilever, Diageo and Mondelez) individually and as part of wider forums such as the Exports Forum. Ministers and senior officials also regularly meet trade associations representing food producers such as the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and others, as well as organisations that bring together businesses from the whole food chain such as the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD).
	Key issues discussed include: competiveness and the sector's contribution to growth; export promotion; the skills needs of the sector and apprenticeships; sustainability and healthy eating initiatives undertaken by the sector; food waste; food security; the Government's planned Agri-Tech Strategy; innovation and new technology, including GM; reform of the Common Agricultural Policy sugar regime; changes to food labelling legislation and the response to the horsemeat fraud incident. In addition there will have been a significant number of routine meetings at official level with a range of trade associations representing food producers and individual businesses.

Forests

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on measures to increase the area of accessible woodland created close to towns and cities.

David Heath: The Government Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement made it clear that we want more trees and woodlands in and around our towns and cities, where they can provide important public benefits such as access and recreation.
	The Forestry Commission has a track record of developing new woodlands close to where people live, for example in Thames Chase and Manchester, and is making good progress in supporting the creation of more woodland access close to the most disadvantaged communities. Planting trees close to where people live is also a key objective of the Big Tree Plant which will provide 1 million new trees in and around our towns and cities by 2015.
	The Government also continues to support the creation of the National Forest by the National Forest Company which is transforming an area covering 200 square miles in the Midlands in which 200,000 people live and over 8 million trees have now been planted.

Forests

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will make his decision on the future of the Forest Services.

David Heath: A review is being run jointly with the Forestry Commission of the way the Government's forestry functions, such as providing advice to landowners and regulating the forestry sector, are carried out. The review is expected to report shortly and we will announce the outcome as soon as is practical thereafter.

Horses

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many thoroughbred racehorses registered with each passport issuing authority and previously (a) in training, (b) out of training, (c) in breeding or (d) formerly used for breeding were killed in UK abattoirs in each of the last three years; and how many such animals entered the human food chain.

David Heath: DEFRA does not hold the data requested, it only holds data on the total number of horses slaughtered for human consumption. The number of horses slaughtered in the last three full calendar years is as follows:
	
		
			   Of which: 
			  UK total England Northern Ireland 
			 2010 8,854 7,919 935 
			 2011 9,011 8,112 899 
			 2012 9,405 8,426 979

Horses: Death

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses died and were subsequently reported to the National Equine Database (NED) for each of the last three years the NED was operational.

David Heath: As of 2 July 2012, 114,961 horses whose passports had been issued by UK Passport Issuing Organisations had been reported as having died. It is not possible to break this total down by year.

Marine Conservation Zones

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the principles of good practice, set out in the Government Chief Scientific Adviser's Guidelines on the use of scientific and engineering advice in policy making, were applied within his Department and by his Department's Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies when preparing and submitting evidence in support of the proposed marine conservation zones.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has implemented a number of measures to ensure the Government chief scientific adviser's principles of good practice have been applied when utilising evidence in support of marine conservation zones (MCZs).
	DEFRA established independent expert groups to challenge, support and provide advice on the different phases of the process. It also established peer review processes to challenge and examine information. These included:
	The Marine Protected Areas Science Advisory Panel review of evidence cited by the Regional MCZ Projects and advice on the MCZ site recommendations;
	The Independent Expert Review Group (IERG) review of protocols and advice produced by Natural England (NE) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); and
	The external peer review of the Impact Assessment.
	Following recommendations from the Science Advisory Panel DEFRA also commissioned an independent expert review of the MCZ evidence base to deliver a comprehensive review of the Regional MCZ Project's evidence and any additional information.
	NE and JNCC also developed their advice so as to be consistent with the Government chief scientific adviser's guidelines for preparing scientific advice, and the recommendations of the independent report that reviewed the evidence process for selecting marine special areas of conservation. The independent review has been published online.
	NE and JNCC's advice, following published peer reviewed protocols, used the best available evidence and was subject to internal peer review by the organisations' non-executive boards and an independent external review by the IERG. NE and JNCC are currently preparing advice on the proposed MCZs post-public consultation using the same protocols and approaches described in their previous advice, thus continuing to follow the Government chief scientific adviser's guidelines.

Marine Conservation Zones

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department received the first draft of the published report on the in-depth review of evidence supporting the recommended marine conservation zones; and for what reason the final report was not released earlier during the marine consultation zone consultation process which concluded on 31 March 2013.

Richard Benyon: The in-depth review undertook a complex assessment of the data used by the Regional Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Projects, Natural England (NE) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) for all recommended MCZs and Reference Areas. The timetable for submission of the report to DEFRA was extended to ensure that NE and JNCC could supply the information they used in a suitable format so that this could be taken into account in the final report.
	The first draft of the final published report was received on 19 February 2013.

Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department is making in reducing nitrogen dioxide pollution levels; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: While the UK is compliant with most EU air quality standards, meeting the limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in cities and towns is challenging. This is a situation shared by most other member states. Underperformance of diesel vehicles against EU emissions standards for oxides of nitrogen is a key part of the problem. In 2011, the UK submitted air quality plans to the European Commission for the zones where NO2 exceedances were reported. These plans set out the action being taken at national and local level to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.
	Evidence suggests that targeted action to accelerate the introduction of cleaner vehicles is the most effective way of reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in our towns and cities. We have therefore invested in incentives to improve heavy duty vehicle standards over many years through Reduced Pollution Certificates and a Green Bus fund of nearly £100 million. There has also been significant investment in incentives for ultra low emission electric and hybrid vehicles. We continue to explore these and other measures to achieve further reductions in air pollution.

Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and (b) devolved Administrations about the consequences to human health of nitrogen dioxide pollution.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA and the Department of Health have had extensive discussions to raise awareness of the health effects of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide. Air quality was included as an indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework for local authorities. DEFRA, the Department of Health and Public Health England also work together to keep the evidence on the health effects of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide, under review.
	DEFRA works closely with the devolved Administrations on our shared air pollution evidence programme and on ensuring that health impacts from air pollution are properly reflected in the EU review of air quality policy.

Plants: EU Action

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the European Commission's proposal for a regulation on marketing of plant reproductive material.

David Heath: We welcome, in principle, the European Commission's aim to simplify, modernise and reduce the costs associated with the current EU regulatory framework on marketing plant reproductive material. We are considering the proposal and its potential impacts with stakeholders and will be negotiating for a proportionate, flexible and simplified approach to legislation. Rules to mitigate biosecurity risks from import and movement of plant reproductive material are in the existing EU plant health legislation and in the recently published proposals which are part of a wider package covering plant health, animal heath, and controls for production of food and animal feed.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what specific measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) officials of his Department and (b) the agencies and public bodies for which he is responsible;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) officials of his Department and (b) the agencies and public bodies which support his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 3 June 2013
	Core DEFRA, its Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) assess communication needs on a case by case basis, with a view to meeting individual requirements. This may be by providing a British Sign Language interpreter or by using alternative communication formats for meetings with officials.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA assesses communication needs on a case by case basis, with a view to meeting individual requirements. This may be by providing a British Sign Language interpreter or by using alternative communication formats.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of public consultation Natural England must undertake when proposing changes to a Site of Special Scientific Interest; and under what statutory authority such consultation is conducted.

Richard Benyon: If Natural England proposes to enlarge an existing Site of Special Scientific Interest then it is required by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to notify:
	“(a) the local planning authority (if any) in whose area the land (including the SSSI) is situated;
	(b) every owner and occupier of any of that land (including the SSSI); and
	(c) the Secretary of State”. (Section 28C (2))
	and that notification:
	“shall specify the time (not being less than three months from the date of the giving of the notification) within which, and the manner in which, representations or objections with respect to it may be made; and Natural England shall consider any representation or objection duly made.” (Sections 28C (3) and 28 (3))
	If Natural England proposes to denotify an existing SSSI then the same Act requires it to notify:
	“(a) the local planning authority (if any) in whose area the land mentioned in subsection (1) is situated;
	(b) every owner and occupier of any of that land;
	(c) the Secretary of State;
	(d) the Environment Agency; and
	(e) every relevant undertaker (within the meaning of section 4(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991) and every internal drainage board (within the meaning of section 61C(1) of the Land Drainage Act 1991) whose works, operations or activities may affect the land.” (Section 28D (2))

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA and its Executive agencies do not receive any share of call revenue or a reduction in telephone bill or tariff from its telephone providers.

Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Greyhound Regulations are due to be reviewed in 2015.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in assisting the Afghan Government to implement fully the law on the elimination of violence against women.

Alistair Burt: Tackling violence against women is fundamental to upholding basic human rights and to support women playing a full part in the development of a stable and secure Afghanistan and we regularly raise this issue with the Government of Afghanistan. For example, during her visit to Afghanistan in March the Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi discussed women's rights with the Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul, leading female parliamentarians and other Government and civil society representatives.
	Implementation of the Afghan Elimination of Violence Against Women Law (EVAW) was specifically included in the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework (TMAF), the partnership between the Afghan Government and the international community. We, along with our international partners, will hold the Afghan Government to account for the commitments they have made. In Kabul, the Gender Donor Coordination Group (led by UN Women) and the Civil Society Support Group (led by UNAMA) are considering how the TMAF recommendations should be taken forward. The UK is represented on both groups.
	We also encourage the Afghan Government to monitor the use of the EVAW law by police and prosecutors across the country to ensure it is used in all applicable cases. Our £7.1 million Assistance to the Ministry of Interior includes a strong focus on developing Afghan policy on promoting human rights in the security sector and protecting women from violence. We provide significant funding to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission to ensure it can act to protect women human rights defenders, investigate and catalogue violence against women, and support those seeking justice.
	Through the Tawanmandi project the UK provides grants for Afghan women's organisations to advocate for full implementation of EVAW law among judges, prosecutors and police; to provide support for victims of violence; and engage with the Government of Afghanistan and hold it to account. UK funding for this project will continue into 2016.

Afghanistan

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what priority has been given by his Department to women's rights in Afghanistan.

Alistair Burt: Human rights, including women's rights, are essential to and indivisible from the UK's foreign policy priorities. Tackling violence and discrimination against women is an important part of our work in Afghanistan and is fundamental to upholding basic human rights and to supporting the role of women in securing a stable and prosperous future Afghanistan. We regularly raise this issue with the Government of Afghanistan and wider Afghan Authorities and will continue to do so. For example, during her visit to Helmand and Kabul in March the Senior Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi discussed the vital role of women in Afghanistan with Foreign Minister Rassoul, leading female parliamentarians and other Government and civil society representatives.
	We will continue to work closely with the Government of Afghanistan and wider Afghan authorities, international partners and local and international civil society organisations to improve the status of women in Afghanistan, so that they can play a full role in a future, peaceful Afghanistan.

Air Travel

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount was spent by his Department on (a) business, (b) first and (c) economy class airline tickets in each of the last three years.

David Lidington: The following costs are for air travel bookings made through the FCO travel management company (Hogg Robinson Group plc) and do not include bookings made through local travel agencies, which would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			 April 2012 to March 2013  
			 Business class 7,161,471 
			 Premium economy 1,256,129 
			 Economy 4,387,914 
			   
			 April 2011 to March 2012  
			 Business class 6,093,508 
			 Premium economy 1,088,482 
			 Economy 3,775,779 
			   
			 April 2010 to March 2011  
			 Business class 5,296,062 
			 Premium economy 725,277 
			 Economy 3,276,293 
		
	
	FCO policy does not allow for first class travel. The only possible exception might be in cases where we are required to evacuate staff or dependants urgently (including in a medical emergency) and no other seats were available.
	Where possible and appropriate, we encourage secure video-conferencing around the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network to reduce the number of flights needed. However, face-to-face meetings are a vital part of diplomatic work and this necessarily involves travel.

Argentina

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Argentina on freedom of expression.

Hugo Swire: I have not personally raised this issue with my Argentine counterpart. However, I have taken note of the concerns expressed by a number of civil society groups. Freedom of expression is fundamental in any fully functioning democracy.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the case of Redha al Gasra in Bahrain; and what assessment he has made of the legal proceedings being taken against him in that country.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any representations about the case of Redha al Gasra, and has had no reason to follow the legal proceedings of this case.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to secure the release of Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: I raised the case of Mr Mahdi Abu Dheeb with the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak, during a telephone call last month. We respect the sovereignty of the Bahraini judiciary but continue to urge the Government to ensure that due process is followed carefully and transparently in all cases, and that liberties are protected—particularly where severe penalties are imposed.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the trial and detention of Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt: Mr Mahdi Abu Dheeb had his sentence reduced to five years following a civilian retrial in October. We understand that he is appealing this verdict in the Cassation Court. We will continue to monitor this case closely—as we do with a number of other trials—including through the attendance by a member of our embassy staff at hearings.

Bangladesh

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment UK Trade and Investment has made of whether the Phulbari open cast coal mine project in Bangladesh is environmentally, technically, socially and financially viable.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team in Dhaka provides support to UK companies seeking to do business in Bangladesh. It is for individual companies to make an assessment of the viability of any potential projects. UKTI does not have the remit or resources to undertake an assessment for a company of whether an individual project is environmentally, technically, socially or financially viable.
	We want to help British business succeed in a way that is consistent with our values. The promotion of business and the protection of human rights should go hand in hand. The Government intends to launch an action plan on business and human rights—based on the UN Guiding Principles—which will underpin business success by helping UK companies understand and manage human rights risk.

Bangladesh

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Bangladesh Government regarding the establishment of an independent inquiry into the recent violence in that country.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned following the recent violence and deaths in Bangladesh. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, issued a statement on 13 March which called on the Government of Bangladesh to investigate reports of deaths and use of excessive force by the police.
	We continue to call on the Bangladesh Government to ensure that investigations into all criminal incidents are conducted promptly, transparently, and impartially, irrespective of the identity of either victim or alleged perpetrator. Anyone arrested should be treated in full accordance with due process and Bangladeshi law.
	We have been clear that all citizens have a right to hold their government to account but violence and vandalism have no place in legitimate protests. We continue to encourage all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and discussion. On 25 April Baroness Warsi raised our concerns directly with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Dr Dipu Moni. Our high commission in Dhaka also regularly raises these issues, both bilaterally and with EU partners.

Bangladesh

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Bangladeshi counterpart in support of the rule of law and the abolition of the death penalty in that country.

Alistair Burt: The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, raised our support for the rule of law and our strong opposition to the death penalty with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Dr Dipu Moni, on 25 April. She also issued a statement on 13 March calling for respect for rule of law in Bangladesh.
	Our high commission in Dhaka also regularly raises both these issues, both bilaterally and with EU partners.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed against Rohingya people in Burma.

Hugo Swire: The reports from Human Rights Watch in April, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Burma following his visit to Burma in February, contain a number of disturbing and specific allegations. We continue to make clear to the Burmese Government that where serious crimes have been committed, those who have perpetrated them must be held accountable for their actions. This should be done through a clear and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards.
	Further independent investigative work to fully establish the facts would be required for an informed assessment as to whether ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed.
	Ministers most recently met senior Burmese Ministers to press them on the need for accountability, when the Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Warsi, on 15 April, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on 16 April, met the lead Minister for Rakhine State and Minister for the President's Office, during their visit to London. The Minister of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), will visit Burma and Rakhine State later in June to raise our concerns again. Officials in Rangoon continue to work with other like-minded countries to lobby the Burmese Government to act on the statement by President Thei'n Sein on 6 May, in which he stressed the need to ensure accountability for those guilty of human rights violations.

Colombia

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the strength of the evidence base for the accusations made by the Colombian Government that the March for Peace, held across Colombia on 9 April 2013, had been partly organised with money from FARC; and if he will make a statement on the implications for human rights in that country, particularly freedom of association.

Hugo Swire: We are aware of the Colombian Defence Minister's comments about the march that took place in Colombia on 9 April, but do not plan to carry out an assessment of the basis for these comments. We believe that the attendance of President Santos and large numbers of the armed forces at the event, alongside over one million Colombians, demonstrated the Colombian Government's belief in the legitimacy of civil society groups and the contribution such groups can make towards achieving a lasting peace settlement for Colombia.
	As part of Colombia's Universal Periodic Review in April 2013, we strongly welcomed President Santos's decision to undertake peace negotiations with the FARC. The process has significant potential to improve respect for human rights in Colombia. We support the Colombian Government's consultations with civil society over the agenda items in the peace negotiations. We believe the biggest threat to freedom of association and expression comes from threats and violence by illegal armed groups. We have recommended that the Colombian Government increases efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible for threats or violence against human rights defenders, trade unionists, community leaders and journalists.

Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to increase the number of officials in his Department that are based in the Falkland Islands.

Hugo Swire: Staffing levels in all our Posts are reviewed regularly. There are currently no plans to increase the number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials based in the Falkland Islands given the broad range of responsibilities that are devolved to the Falkland Islands Government. We did, however, increase by half the size of the Falklands team in London during 2012.

Iraq: Iran

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  with reference to the answer to Lord Maginnis of Drumglass of 18 March 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA117, on Iraq: Camp Liberty, what steps the Government is taking to support the UN's efforts to relocate residents of Camp Liberty in third countries;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 933W, on Iraq, what assessment officials of the British embassy in Iraq made of (a) Camp Ashraf and (b) Camp Liberty after their visits in September 2012; and whether further such visits have been planned;
	(3)  with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 636W, on Iraq, what the outcome was of his discussions with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad in February 2013 on humanitarian standards at Camp Liberty; and what discussions he had on that occasion on attacks carried out on (a) Camp Ashraf in April 2011 and (b) Camp Liberty in February 2013;
	(4)  what representations he has made to the US and UN regarding the alleged unlawful and forced relocation of residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty.

Alistair Burt: The Memorandum of Understanding which the Government of Iraq agreed with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq in December 2011 allowed only for the voluntary relocation of residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty. We have seen no evidence that residents were forced to relocate to Camp Liberty, and have therefore made no representations to the US or UN about such allegations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible for the process of resettlement of residents to third countries. We are considering, on an exceptional and case by case basis, the readmission of 52 residents who have had previous residence in the UK as refugees.
	The UN is responsible for monitoring conditions at Camps Ashraf and Liberty. British embassy officials therefore would not make an independent assessment, though we continue to raise issues with the UN and Government of Iraq when appropriate. We do not currently have plans to visit the camps again, given the UN's role. I raised my concerns about the 9 February 2013 attack on Camp Liberty and discussed residents' access to medical care with the Iraqi Foreign Minister when we met in February.

Israel

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 573W, on Israel, if he will direct the British ambassador to make urgent representations to the Israeli Government regarding the Prawer Plan.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), visited Khan Al Ahmar, a Bedouin community located in the "El" area during his visit to the region on 23 to 24 May, where he heard from vulnerable Palestinian communities facing the threat of house demolitions and forced displacement.
	Our embassy is in regular contact with Bedouin leaders and activists and our ambassador to Tel Aviv has discussed the Prawer Plan with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.

Israel

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 573W, on Israel, what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government to make clear the UK Government's concerns about forced evictions.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised our concerns over evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem and the west bank with the Israeli authorities during his visit to the region on 23 to 24 May.

Mexico

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Mexico on participation in the planned humanitarian effects of war conference; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Officials from our embassy in Mexico City held discussions on this subject with Mexican officials on 31 May 2013. We were informed that the Mexican Government planned to host a conference in early 2014, with a focus on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. Officials will continue to meet with their Mexican counterparts to discuss their plans as they develop.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to halt the transfer of population and demolition of Palestinian housing and infrastructure by the Israeli Government.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised our concerns over evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank with the Israeli authorities during his visit to the region on 23-24 May. We will continue to press on these issues, together with key partners.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on how many Palestinian homes are currently at risk of demolition in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in (a) East Jerusalem, (b) Areas A and B and (c) Area C.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 862W.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 859-60W, on Occupied Territories, and with reference to the five International Peace and Cooperation Centre master plans approved in December 2012, what the scope of the period for public objection is; and whether objections can be made by (a) settlement residents, (b) settlement businesses and (c) only those legally resident under international law.

Alistair Burt: Following the International Peace and Cooperation Centre’s submission of detailed planning proposals for new road networks, and new water and sanitation networks for the five planned Palestinian communities in Area C, the plans are currently awaiting approvals from the Israeli road and water departments. This is in preparation for the plans to be deposited for the 60 day period for public objections. We understand that settlement residents and settlement businesses are able to make objections during this period.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2013, Official Report, columns 679-80W, on Palestinians, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of the Government aiding and abetting breaches of international law by Israel in Area C through funding of master plans which amount to de facto recognition of the Wall and settlements.

Alistair Burt: The UK position on settlements and the separation barrier is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law. If Israel wished to build the barrier, it should have been built on the 1967 border—and where it is constructed on the Palestinian side of that border, it is illegal under international law. We do not consider that supporting the development of masterplans for Palestinian communities constitutes de facto recognition of either settlements or the barrier.

Pakistan and Afghanistan

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the effects of unmanned aerial strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan on (a) the livelihoods of the affected communities and (b) the ability of the affected communities to access education.

Alistair Burt: Her Majesty's Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the effects of unmanned aerial strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan on (a) the livelihoods of the affected communities and (b) the ability of the affected communities to access education. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has supported opinion surveys in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas which in 2010 and 2011 included a question related to drone strikes. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 392W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames).

Palestinians

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of Israel on payments made to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt: The Palestinian Authority (PA) makes payments to meet the living expenses of prisoners in Israeli jails at the request of the Israeli authorities. These payments are managed by an Israeli company. Separately, the PA makes social assistance payments to families of prisoners.
	Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Elkin raised the first issue with British officials in Tel Aviv on 28 May 2013 expressing concern as to whether payments are higher for prisoners serving longer sentences.

Qatar

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Qatari government about improving labour standards and rights for migrant workers in Qatar.

Alistair Burt: I have not discussed this issue with the Government of Qatar. But I welcome moves such as the Qatar Foundation's recent Migrant Workers' Welfare Initiative which sets out for contractors and subcontractors the minimum mandatory requirements with respect to recruitment, living and working conditions, and general treatment of workers engaged in construction and other projects at the Foundation. I will encourage the Qatari authorities and other interested parties to make further progress in these areas.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) British diplomatic posts and (b) the agencies and public bodies for which he is responsible.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its arm’s length bodies are strongly committed to promoting equal opportunity and diversity, including promoting disability equality across all aspects of our work. While there is no specific policy to promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL) the FCO and its arm’s length bodies support deaf clients to access its services on a case by case basis. For example:
	FCO Services supply BSL interpreters, lip speakers and palentypists to assist communication, on demand and in keeping with the requestor's wishes. However, as far as we are aware, they have not been asked to do this overseas.
	The British Council provides assistance for deaf students both to learn English and take exams, and through the use of subtitles and local sign language interpreters at its events. The British Council also promotes disability equality around the world through its programmes, for example through support to the Annual European Deaf Arts and Culture Festival and the Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) UK embassies and consulates and (b) the agencies and public bodies which support his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its arm’s length bodies are strongly committed to promoting equal opportunity and diversity, including promoting disability equality across all aspects of our work. While there is no specific policy to promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL) the FCO and its arm’s length bodies support deaf clients to access its services on a case by case basis. For example:
	FCO Services supply BSL interpreters, lip speakers and palentypists to assist communication, on demand and in keeping with the requestor's wishes. However, as far as we are aware, they have not been asked to do this overseas.
	The British Council provides assistance for deaf students both to learn English and take exams, and through the use of subtitles and local sign language interpreters at its events. The British Council also promotes disability equality around the world through its programmes, for example through support to the Annual European Deaf Arts and Culture Festival and the Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its arm’s length bodies are strongly committed to promoting equal opportunity and diversity, including promoting disability equality across all aspects of our work. While there is no specific policy to promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL) the FCO and its arm’s length bodies support deaf clients to access its services on a case-by-case basis. For example:
	FCO Services supply BSL interpreters, lip speakers and palentypists to assist communication, on demand and in keeping with the requestor's wishes. However, as far as we are aware, they have not been asked to do this overseas.
	The British Council provides assistance for deaf students both to learn English and take exams, and through the use of subtitles and local sign language interpreters at its events. The British Council also promotes disability equality around the world through its programmes, for example through support to the Annual European Deaf Arts and Culture Festival and the Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival.

Sri Lanka

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat on human rights in Sri Lanka ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Alistair Burt: Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat, including on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
	We continue to have serious concerns about reconciliation and accountability processes, as well as respect for human rights in Sri Lanka. We are concerned about attacks on and intimidation of journalists, legal professionals, human rights defenders and others. Sri Lanka is listed as a 'Country of Concern' on human rights in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Report for 2012, a copy of which is available online at
	http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk
	and from the House Libraries.
	The British Government is strongly committed to strengthening our engagement with, and role within, the Commonwealth. It is because of the importance we attach to the organisation, that the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), have decided to attend this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November 2013. We strongly support the values of the Commonwealth and it is right that the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs are able to drive a strong meeting, and take the opportunity to promote human rights and good governance. Hosting the CHOGM will put Sri Lanka in the spotlight and will provide an opportunity to either highlight progress and respect for Commonwealth values or draw pressure and attention to the absence of such progress. We will continue to encourage Sri Lanka to uphold Commonwealth values ahead of the CHOGM.

Sri Lanka

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Sri Lanka concerning human rights and Tamil detainees.

Alistair Burt: The British Government regularly raises its concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka in discussions with Ministers and officials. These include issues relating to the ongoing detention of Tamils.
	We continue to have serious concerns about reconciliation and accountability processes, as well as respect for human rights in Sri Lanka, including freedom of expression and judicial independence. During my visit to Sri Lanka earlier this year, I took our human rights concerns directly to the Sri Lankan Government, and urged the full implementation of Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’s (LLRC) report recommendations and wider measures on accountability. As the Deputy Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg), stated on 15 May, too many LLRC recommendations have not yet been implemented. One area on which we have seen little progress is the recommendation to ensure closure for the families of missing persons through easy access to detainee lists. Both during my visit, and since, the British Government has been clear that although some progress has been made, much more work is needed to deliver the path to reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
	In light of our concerns, the UK co-sponsored the Sri Lanka resolution passed in the Human Rights Council on 21 March, and we welcome its adoption with the support of a majority of Council members. We urge the Sri Lankan Government to implement the recommendations contained in the resolution and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

Syria

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he plans to ensure that any arms and military equipment licensed to be sold to groups opposing the Syrian government will not be diverted to terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or Islamist extremists also opposing the Syrian government in the Syrian civil conflict.

Alistair Burt: The United Kingdom has made no decision to send arms to the Syrian Opposition. The lifting of the EU Arms Embargo gives the UK the flexibility to respond in the future if the situation continues to deteriorate and if the Assad regime refuses to work towards a political solution to the conflict.
	If we were to decide to provide lethal support to the Syrian Opposition it would only be in co-ordination with other nations, in carefully controlled circumstances, and in accordance with our obligations under national and international law. At the Foreign Affairs Committee on 27 May, the UK agreed safeguards to ensure that support would only go to moderate groups.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

David Lidington: It is not possible to split the ministerial offices' budget into detailed categories. The budget for 2013-14 is £1.6 million. This includes all travel and associated costs for Ministers and accompanying staff.
	Budgets for future years have not yet been set at team level.

Turkey

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish Government to ensure that (a) excessive force is not used against protestors in Taksim Square and (b) democratic processes are followed in resolving current social and political issues in Turkey.

David Lidington: The British ambassador in Ankara issued a statement on 1 June expressing concern at the violence in Turkey, urging the authorities to exercise restraint, and encouraging them to respect the right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly which, he underlined, are fundamental human rights in any democratic society.
	We welcome statements last week from the Turkish Government apologising for the disproportionate use of force and recognising that some of the concerns raised by the protestors are legitimate. Turkey is a multi-party democracy whose Government has been democratically elected. We hope the issues raised by the protestors are resolved through an inclusive process of constructive engagement and dialogue. We urge all parties to show restraint.

UK Trade and Investment

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that maintaining and increasing the strength of UK education exports is a top priority in British embassies worldwide.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has a strong programme of support for the UK's education export sector. Much of this is delivered by its network of Commercial officers based in embassies, consulates-general and high commissions overseas. UKTI's commercial officers who deal with education are fully aware of the importance of this sector and have a deep understanding of how the UK offers matches local demand. They work closely both with individual providers and with trade associations to promote the UK's offer, and are given regular and appropriate training to ensure that they have an up to date knowledge of the UK's strengths in this field. UKTI's overseas team deals with more inquiries about education than it does for any other sector, underlining the importance of educational exports and its high priority in our overseas posts.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK has offered to non-members of the Missile Technology Control Regime to prevent the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Alistair Burt: The UK is a founder member of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and plays a full part in the regime's activities, including supporting outreach work to non-member countries to promote support for the objectives of the regime. Outreach visits help to raise awareness of the regime's technical controls—including controls on unmanned aerial vehicles—as well as promoting their effective implementation. The chair of the regime leads outreach visits, usually with support from member countries. This year the chair is Germany. Germany has conducted outreach visits to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. The UK was represented on each of these visits.

Western Sahara

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the (a) Moroccan Ambassador and (b) UN Secretary-General reports that the Moroccan authorities in Dakhla, Western Sahara, have banned UN personnel from the harbour.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of media reports of an incident of this nature. It is important that MINURSO is able to fulfil its role in Western Sahara in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions. We do not plan to raise these allegations with the Moroccan Authorities or the UN Secretary-General but we understand that MINURSO will discuss this as part of their regular dialogue with the Moroccan authorities.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Food: Retail Trade

Michael Meacher: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings (a) he and (b) staff in his Office have held with directors or staff of the top 15 food retailers in the UK in the last 15 months; and what subjects were discussed at those meetings.

Nicholas Clegg: As part of the Government's transparency programme, details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/series/ministers-transparency-publications

Lobbying

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 16 April 2013, Official Report, column 293W, on lobbying, what period of time was intended to be inferred by the phrase in due course used in the answer; when he expects to bring forward legislative proposals for a statutory register of lobbyists; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: The Government has repeatedly made very clear its commitment to introducing a statutory register of lobbyists.
	As I informed the House during Deputy Prime Minister's Questions on 4 June 2013, we will introduce legislation to provide for a lobbying register before the summer recess.

JUSTICE

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to strengthen sentences available to courts for crimes relating to animal cruelty; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The Government abhors animal cruelty. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the "2006 Act"), it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal. It is also an offence under the 2006 Act to cause, take part in, or publicise an animal fight. The maximum penalty for both of these offences, as decided by Parliament, is six months' imprisonment, or a fine of up to £20,000, or both.
	More generally, section 85 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 will, when implemented, effectively lift the monetary cap on fines of £5,000 and allow magistrates the discretion to impose any fine they see fit, taking into account the seriousness of the offence and the means of the offender. The Government is currently taking steps to implement that provision.

Badgers

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there have been for badger-baiting in the last five years for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Court proceedings data held centrally for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 are collated in an aggregated format, which does not allow the identification of specific badger cruelty related offences proceeded against under the Act. It is therefore not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information which findings of guilt under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in the last five years related specifically to badger-baiting.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Helen Grant: The number of people employed on zero-hours contracts by the Ministry of Justice (Ministry of Justice HQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) as at 31 March 2013 was 133.
	Individuals on zero-hour contracts only get paid for the hours worked. The number of hours worked can vary according to workloads. The number of hours worked are recorded on weekly timesheets with local managers reviewing and approving claims made before payment is made.

Crime: Victims

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure co-ordination between police and crime commissioners and prisons for work with victims of crime.

Helen Grant: Police and crime commissioners are to become responsible for commissioning local support services for victims of crime. In order to respond effectively to the needs of victims in their areas, PCCs will want to work closely with a range of partners across the criminal justice system and beyond. The Government is strongly encouraging such partnership working but believes that the details of the arrangements to be put in place in any particular area are best left to those on the ground so as to ensure that they are tailored to meet local needs.

Data Protection

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has any plans to bring forward an order under section 41a of the Data Protection Act 1988 to meet the recommendation of the Information Commissioner that his power to serve assessment notices be extended to NHS trusts and local councils.

Helen Grant: On 25 March 2013, the Government published a consultation paper proposing that the Secretary of State uses the order making power under section 41A of the Data Protection Act 1998 to extend the powers of the Information Commissioner to carry out compulsory assessments of NHS bodies' compliance with the data protection principles under the Act. That consultation closed on 17 May. The Ministry of Justice is now considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a response within three months of the close of the consultation exercise.
	There are no plans to extend the Information Commissioners assessment notice powers to local councils.

Data Protection

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has any plans to bring into force sections 77 and 78 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 to allow for custodial sentences for breach of section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Jeremy Wright: Following Lord Justice Leveson's Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press, it is the Government's intention to conduct a public consultation on the full range of Lord Justice Leveson's data protection proposals, including on whether to make an Order introducing custodial sentences under section 77 (CJIA), and on whether to commence the enhanced public interest defence under section 78 (CJIA), which will seek views on their impact and how they might be approached.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has spent the following amounts with G4S since the start of the 2008-09 financial year:
	
		
			 Financial year Amount (excluding VAT) 
			 2012-13 282.6 
			 2011-12 231.6 
			 2010-11 277.2 
			 2009-10 264.3 
			 2008-09 (1)99.3 
			 (1) A number of G4S contracts did not come under the control of the Department until part way through 2008-09.

Judges

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many High Court judges were appointed in each of the last three years.

Helen Grant: The number of High Court judges appointed in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010 9 
			 2011 8 
			 2012 4 
			 2013 8

Legal Aid Scheme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an impact assessment of the changes to legal aid on (a) access to legal aid and (b) quality of legal aid.

Jeremy Wright: The Government has recently consulted on a number of proposals to reform legal aid via the ‘Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system’ consultation which closed on 4 June 2013. We have been clear we must continue to bear down on the cost of legal aid, including the £1 billion of taxpayers' money spent on criminal legal aid a year, to ensure we are getting the best deal for the taxpayer.
	Five impact assessments have been written in relation to this consultation and they do address the issues of access and quality to legal aid. They are as follows:
	(1) Civil Credibility Impact Assessment
	(2) Crime Credibility Impact Assessment
	(3) Civil Fees Impact Assessment
	(4) Crime Fees Impact Assessment
	(5) Criminal Litigation Price Competition Impact Assessment.
	They are all available to download from the consultation webpage which can be found here:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-legal-aid

Prisoners’ Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who is responsible for the statutory post-release supervision of people who had been sentenced to periods of 12 months’ imprisonment.

Jeremy Wright: Probation trusts and youth offending teams are currently responsible for supervising offenders released from custody on licence. On 9 May we published “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform”. Once these reforms are implemented, offenders released on licence will be supervised either by contracted rehabilitation providers or by the new national probation service.

Prisoners’ Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether people sentenced to less than 12 months' imprisonment and subsequently released are subject to licence conditions.

Jeremy Wright: Adult offenders who are sentenced to immediate custody for a period of less than 12 months are not subject to release on licence, apart from those who are released on home detention curfew prior to their automatic release date. Young adult offenders serving sentences of detention in a young offenders institute are subject to three months' supervision on licence following release. All young offenders serving detention and training orders are subject to supervision on licence when released.
	On 9 May we published “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform”, in which we set out our intention that all adult offenders leaving prison, including those sentenced to less than 12 months in custody, will now spend a minimum of 12 months being supervised and rehabilitated in the community. We have introduced provisions in the Offender Rehabilitation Bill to this effect.

Prisons: Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the stated criteria for exemption from prisoner work are for people who are not earning under the Prisoner Earnings Act 1996.

Jeremy Wright: Convicted prisoners can be compelled to work in accordance with Prison Rule 31. Increasing numbers of prisoners are working. Statistics published in June 2012 show that in 2010-11 public sector prisons delivered around 10.6 million prisoner working hours which increased to over 11.4 million hours in 2011-12.
	Convicted prisoners who refuse to work do not receive any pay. Unconvicted prisoners can choose whether or not to work; if they do not work, they do not receive any pay. Prisoners of retirement age can choose not to apply for work. Prisoners who are short- or long-term sick are not required to work while they are ill. We are changing the purpose of the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme so that not only are prisoners expected to behave well, but they will also be expected to work towards their own rehabilitation and help other prisoners or staff. Part of this is delivered through work in prisons, but this is not the only purposeful activity prisoners must do. As part of their sentence plan they may be required to take part in education or specific treatment courses. To gain access to privileges while in prison, offenders will have to engage with purposeful activity outlined to them or they will stay on the basic level of the regime. This would mean they would have to wear prison clothes and would not have access to an in-cell television.

Prisons: Uniforms

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in which (a) publicly-run and (b) privately-run prisons prisoners are expected to wear a uniform at (i) entry level and (ii) any other times.

Jeremy Wright: We have announced an overhaul of the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme which will require prisoners to engage positively in their own rehabilitation as well as complying fully with prison regimes.
	The changes will apply to adult male prisoners aged 18 or over in all categories of prison, both private and publicly run.
	Remand prisoners, and those newly convicted, will wear prison clothing during the 14-day entry level period.
	All male prisoners aged 18 or over who are placed on the basic level of the IEP scheme, irrespective of the prison they are held in, will wear prison clothing while on the basic level.
	All offenders returned to prison for breaching licence conditions will be placed on the entry level regardless of which level they had reached before release.

Probation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he plans to ensure public safety under his proposals for the outsourcing of probation services.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May 2013, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform” that sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates.
	Every offender who poses a high risk of serious harm to the public will be managed by the new National Probation Service.
	Clear expectations and standards for managing the risk of harm for both market providers and the National Probation Service will be set out in Service Level Agreements and contracts.

Probation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he plans to enable third sector providers to compete for probation services with the private sector under his proposals for the outsourcing of probation services.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform” which sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates.
	Our reforms will open up delivery of probation services to a far wider range of potential providers—this includes the voluntary and community sector. We have published the 3SC action plan to increase the capability of voluntary and community organisations to deliver payment by results contracts. We are running a two part, £500,000 grant to support VCS organisations to overcome the barriers to their participation in the rehabilitation reforms.
	We will assess bids and put in place market stewardship arrangements so smaller voluntary and community organisations can play their part in delivering rehabilitative services under fair and sustainable arrangements.

Probation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he plans to retain sufficiently qualified and professional staff in the public sector under his proposals for the outsourcing of probation services.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May 2013, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform” which sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates.
	Roles within the new National Probation Service will require a range of skills. Public sector probation staff will be responsible for managing those offenders who pose the highest risk to the public. The Probation Qualifications Framework—which sets out the range of roles to be performed in the rehabilitation and management of offenders—will form the basis of competency standards for the National Probation Service. We will be working with the probation profession to take forward the idea of an Institute of Probation, to recognise and spread best practice.

Probation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he plans to assess the success of his proposals for the outsourcing of probation services.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May 2013, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform” that sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to drive down reoffending rates.
	Providers will only be paid in full for real reductions in reoffending; their success will be measured through robust contracts that drive the right behaviours and generate value for money.
	By extending rehabilitation to more offenders, opening up rehabilitation services to a more diverse range of providers, and paying providers by results to help offenders turn their lives around our reforms will make a real difference to the rehabilitation offenders receive in practice and we seek to achieve year-on-year reductions in reoffending.

Probation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how contractors will be incentivised under his proposals for the outsourcing of probation services.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May, the Ministry of Justice published “Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform” which sets out the plans for transforming the way in which offenders are managed in the community in order to bring down reoffending rates.
	Our reforms will introduce new payment incentives for market providers to focus relentlessly on reforming offenders, giving providers flexibility to do what works and freedom from bureaucracy, but only paying them in full for real reductions in reoffending.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Jeremy Wright: In line with other Government Departments the MOJ Procurement Directorate issued Cabinet Office guidance regarding Public Services (Social Value) Act to MOJ commissioning teams and procurement staff.
	The guidance recommends that, before the procurement process begins, commissioners and procurers need to consider what is to be procured, its relevance, and how it may improve social, environmental and economic well-being of areas in England and Wales.

Public Transport: Damage

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that those convicted of criminal damage on or against public transport are (a) liable for the cost of repairs and (b) responsible for aiding the repairs as part of any sentence; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: Tough sentences are available for those convicted of criminal damage with a maximum sentence of up to 10 years' custody. Provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 place a stronger duty on the courts to consider ordering offenders to pay compensation to their victims, including the cost of repairs to public transport, but this must take into account an offender's means. Compulsory unpaid work is one of the potential requirements of a Community or Suspended Sentence Order handed down by the courts. This is general reparation to the community rather than work which specifically corrects the damage which the offender may have done.

Repossession Orders: Yorkshire and the Humber

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many homes were repossessed in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humber in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The information requested is not available. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the total number of repossessions as these can occur without a court order, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Our figures only include repossessions carried out by county court bailiffs.

Surveillance

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to strengthening the penalties available for use against public officials guilty of abusing powers enabled by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	There are existing penalties on the statute book that can be used to penalise any such offence, including those under the Data Protection Act 1998 or the offence of misconduct in public office. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) the unlawful interception of communications is a criminal offence punishable on indictment by up to two years imprisonment, a fine or both.
	In addition, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Monetary Penalty Notice and Consents for Interceptions) Regulations 2011 created a new civil sanction for certain kinds of unlawful interception of electronic communications not already covered by the criminal offence of intercepting without lawful authority.
	The regulations empower the Interception of Communications Commissioner to issue monetary penalty notices to offenders and to enforce them in court. The Interception of Communications Commissioner, Chief Surveillance Commissioner and Intelligence Services Commissioner keep public authority use of RIPA under continual review.
	As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Communications Data Bill, the Joint Committee on the Draft Bill looked carefully at the specific issue of abuse of access to communications data by those in public office. In his evidence to that Committee, the then Interception of Communications Commissioner made clear that there is little or no evidence of wilful or reckless misuse of powers to acquire communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The Committee recommended that there should be a specific offence relating to communications data and the Government is considering this matter at present, as part of our wider work on proposals relating to the investigation of crime in cyberspace.

TRANSPORT

Administration

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of likely expenditure on administration in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(2)  what the Driving Standards Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(3)  what the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(4)  what the Highways Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(5)  what the Maritime and Coastguard Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(6)  what the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(7)  what the Vehicle Certification Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(8)  what the British Transport Police Authority budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(9)  what the Northern Lighthouse Board budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(10)  the Passenger Focus budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(11)  the Trinity House (Lighthouse) budgeted or estimated expenditure for administration is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(12)  what administration budget he has allocated for work formerly done by the Railway Heritage Committee for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: The Departmental Group Administration budgets are given in the table below.
	
		
			 £000 
			  2013-14 2014-15 
			 Central DfT Administration 155,789 139,469 
			 Highways Agency 67,154 65,468 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 10,062 10,162 
			 General Lighthouse Fund(1) 10,281 10,161 
			    
			 Funding of ALBs (net), including: 11,405 11,925 
			 Passenger Focus(2) 4,930 4,950 
			 Total Administration 254,691 237,185 
			 (1) General Lighthouse Fund, encompassing Trinity House and Northern Lighthouse Board. (2) Passenger Focus figure for 2014-15 is an indicative forecast. 
		
	
	There are no administration budgets for the following agencies and arm's length bodies as their total expenditure is classified as Programme.
	British Transport Police Authority
	Vehicle Certification Agency
	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
	Vehicle and Operator Service Agency and Driving Standards Agency are Trading Funds and are not consolidated in the Departmental Group.
	The Department has not allocated any budget for work formerly done by the Railway Heritage Committee. The Committee's powers were transferred to the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum on 1 April 2013 which is overseen by the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
	Budgets for 2015/16 are subject to the 2013 Spending Round which is currently underway.

Advertising

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's budgeted or estimated expenditure on advertising is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: Advertising media may form part of a communications campaign or other budgeted activity but such a decision will be based on evidence of its value for money and subject to approval through the appropriate authority under the Efficiency and Reform Group expenditure controls. For this reason, advertising media expenditure is not usually explicitly identified within current or future year budget plans.
	It is expected that road safety communication campaigns will be the majority of advertising media expenditure in 2013/14. This financial year the THINK! Road Safety campaign has run a motorcycling campaign with an advertising media spend of approximately £1.055 million and a summer drink drive campaign which has a planned media spend of approximately £559,000.
	The Highways Agency currently has no plans for advertising media expenditure in 2013/14 and has made an initial estimate of £0.8 million for public information advertising on Dartford freeflow charging in 2014/15.
	Statutory public notice advertising costs, incurred by the central Department and the Highways Agency, are currently estimated to be £1.9 million in 2013/14 and a similar value in 2014/15.

Advertising

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's expenditure on advertising was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Norman Baker: Expenditure on advertising media by the Department and its Executive Agencies for the financial years 2010/11 to 2012/13 is as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Advertising media expenditure 
			  2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Department for Transport (Central)—non-statutory public notice advertising. 566,927 2,623,643 1,941,675 
			 Department for Transport (Central)—statutory public notice advertising 18,651 495,709 398,075 
			 Driving Standards Agency Nil Nil 60 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Nil Nil Nil 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency Nil Nil Nil 
		
	
	
		
			 Highways Agency—non-statutory public notice advertising. 83,390 Nil. Nil 
			 Highways Agency—statutory public notice advertising. 1,904,163 1,253,701 1,310,867 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 370 Nil 13,260 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency Nil Nil Nil 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency Nil Nil Nil 
			 Total 2,573,501 4,373,053 3,663,937 
		
	
	The central Department's non-statutory advertising media expenditure is almost exclusively in support of THINK! Road Safety campaigns.

British Transport Police Authority

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the British Transport Police Authority budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The estimated expenditure for the British Transport Police Authority headquarters and other office costs is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			 2013-14 132.3 
			 2014-15 135.7 
		
	
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 Spending Round which is currently underway.

British Transport Police Authority

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff at the British Transport Police Authority are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Simon Burns: There are currently two members of staff at the authority who are paid over £100,000 per annum. This is based on total pay including base salary, taxable benefits, benefits in kind and pensionable allowances.
	The annualised full-time rate for authority members is also above the £100,000 threshold.

Buildings

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of likely expenditure for headquarters and other office costs in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: The accommodation and running costs budget for the Department for Transport headquarters in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is estimated to be approximately £16m.
	Budgets for 2015/16 are subject to the 2013 Spending Round which is currently underway.

Buildings

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the name is of each building or office space leased or rented by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the lease or rental costs for each such property has been in each such year.

Norman Baker: Information about the land and buildings leased or rented by the Department is published on the data.gov.uk website and is available from the following link:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims
	Information on the lease and rental costs of individual properties is not centrally recorded in the format requested and this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	However, the Department does publish information on the running costs of certain occupied administrative offices as part of the annual Cabinet Office Property Benchmarking programme. Further information is available on the Data.Gov website.

Crossrail Line

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that contractors on the Crossrail project are not involved in blacklisting construction workers involved in trade union or health and safety activities.

Stephen Hammond: Crossrail Ltd, which is responsible for the delivery of the Crossrail project and the management of its contractors, requires all companies working on the project to comply with the law, which includes compliance with the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010.
	Crossrail Ltd has informed the Department that it has received assurances from all its principle contractors that none have engaged in any blacklisting activity in connection with the Crossrail project.

Cycling

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his Department's plans are for the future funding of measures to encourage cycling;
	(2)  how much his Department has allocated in each year since 2010 to ensure that roads are designed and built to include more cycle-friendly areas; and how much such funding is planned for each year up to 2015 for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The Department provides significant amounts of funding through the Integrated Transport block for local transport authorities to support small scale initiatives, including cycling schemes. This funding is not ring fenced and offers local authorities the freedom to develop and implement solutions which best suit their localities.
	In addition, in the past year we have allocated £107 million of new money to support safety and community links that encourage more cycling. This funding is through to 2015 and is over and above the £600 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) where 94 out of the 96 projects contain a cycling element. Again this funding is through to 2015.
	As part of the £107 million we have invited cities outside London and National Parks to bid for a share of a £42 million Cycle Ambition Grant. Cities are required to demonstrate local leadership and set out a 10 year ambition for more cycling. Successful bids will receive a cycling budget equivalent to £10 per head. National Parks have been asked to develop schemes to improve cycling facilities to help support cycling as a fun and healthy activity. We will announce the successful bids shortly.
	The Department has produced guidance for local authorities on providing for cyclists in Cycle Infrastructure Design (Local Transport Note 2/08) which can be found at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-transport-notes/ltn-2-08.pdf
	Guidance on providing for cyclists on the trunk road network is available in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Volume 5, Section 2, Part 4, TA 91/05 Provision for Non-Motorised Users at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/dmrb/vol5/section2/ta9105.pdf

Cycling

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to incorporate the needs of cyclists at the early stage of new development schemes; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require that the needs of cyclists be taken account of in such schemes.

Norman Baker: The Government is committed to an expansion of cycling. The National Planning Policy Framework includes the promotion of cycling. The Government is in the process of revising our planning for transport guidance documents (Travel Plans & Transport Assessments/ Statements). These will set out more clearly our recommendations for how local authorities should consider active transport, including cycling, in any new development.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The estimated expenditure for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's headquarters and other office costs is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2013-14 34,703,000 
			 2014-15 27,314,200 
		
	
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Databases

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions companies have been suspended from accessing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database.

Stephen Hammond: Records held since 2006 show 447 companies and organisations have been suspended from receiving information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's ‘vehicle keeper’ register. Information about suspension from the ‘driver licence’ register is only held from 2012. Since that time 14 companies and organisations have been suspended.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Databases

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the protection of privacy in the rules governing access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database.

Stephen Hammond: A ministerial review of processes for the disclosure of vehicle data was carried out in 2006. Two subsequent reviews were carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2009 and 2012. The routine disclosure of both driver and vehicle data is subject to conditions set out in Memorandums of Understanding with other Government Departments, and contracts with private sector third parties. Clauses on security, data transfer, audit and inspection are included.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of uninsured cars seized in each of the last five years in (a) Corby constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) the UK.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this information.

Driving Standards Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Driving Standards Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The accommodation and running costs budget for 2013-14 and 2014-15 for the Driving Standards Agency headquarters and other office costs are estimated to be £2,529,000.
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way.

Driving: Licensing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the first time transactional success rate for photocard driving licences applied for in person at post offices is compared with those done by applicant-provided photograph by post or online.

Stephen Hammond: The first time success rate for photocard licence applications is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Channel Success rate (percentage) 
			 Post Office 96 
			 Online 87 
		
	
	
		
			 Postal applications 87

Driving: Licensing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the quality requirements of the photographs used for photocard driving licences are; and what proportion of postal and online driving licence applications were rejected due to poor quality or inappropriate photographs provided by the applicant in each of the last three years.

Stephen Hammond: Photographs must satisfy the same high standard as those required for passports, e.g. must be printed professionally and meet the size and quality specification.
	As the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not differentiate between the reasons for rejecting driving licence applications there are no figures available for failing to meet the photograph standard. Online transactions use photograph images from the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) database. As these will have already satisfied the IPS quality checks before being entered on the database, there are no rejects due to poor quality photographs.

Driving: Licensing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's timetable is for the phasing out of the paper portion of the UK driving licence.

Stephen Hammond: The Government is committed to abolishing the driving licence counterpart by 2015.

Empty Property

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the location is of each unused or empty office space or building owned or leased by his Department and its agencies; and what the size in square feet is of each such property.

Norman Baker: Information about the vacant office space or buildings owned or leased by the Department is published on the data.gov.uk website and is available from the following link:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims

Empty Property

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the rental or leasing value of the unused or empty office space or buildings owned or being leased by his Department or its agencies per square foot.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport aims to hold only core property (i.e. which is needed for the delivery of its business). All non-core property (unless it is held pending transport scheme use) will be disposed or re-allocated at the earliest opportunity in a way which is both consistent with official guidance and achieves value for money.
	Information about the vacant office space or buildings owned or leased by the Department is published on the data.gov.uk website and is available from the following link:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims
	The Department does not centrally record the rental or leasing value of the office space or building it owns or leases and obtaining the requested data for the element relating to vacant space would incur disproportionate cost.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects HS2 Ltd to complete and publish the research it commissioned in August 2012 into the potential effect of High Speed 2 on regional economies.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd is taking forward a programme of work to assess how HS2 will impact on the economy at the national and regional level. This will provide a deeper understanding of how HS2 might interact with land use, business investment, jobs and growth.
	This work will inform the next update to the business case for HS2 and HS2 Ltd aims to publish the research later this year to support the Phase 2 consultation and the passage of the hybrid Bill.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who the members of the High Speed Rail programme board are.

Simon Burns: The High Speed Rail (HSR) programme board is chaired by David Prout, DFT director-general for High Speed Rail. In addition to the chair, board membership comprises:
	Douglas Oakervee, chair of HS2 Ltd;
	Alison Munro, CEO of HS2 Ltd;
	Martin Capstick, director of HS2 Policy, Legislation, and Funding;
	Jonathan Sharrock, director of HS2 Strategy and Engagement;
	Becky Wood, (acting) director of HS2 Project Sponsorship, Commercial and Technical;
	Stephen Park, DFT Group Finance (interim) director;
	Nick Bisson, Rail Strategy and Finance director;
	Joe Grice, DFT chief economist;
	Nick Joyce, director of Commercial and Technical Services;
	one nominated official from HM Treasury;
	one nominated official from Infrastructure UK; and
	the HS2 Project Representative.
	Other officials attend by invitation for specific items of business.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report commissioned by HS2 Ltd from the companies Sinclair Knight Merz and Jacobs into the High Speed 2 modelling framework.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd have commissioned Sinclair Knight Merz and Jacobs to independently audit the HS2 Ltd modelling framework. This independent audit provides assurance for the next update to the HS2 Economic Case and HS2 Ltd aims to publish this report.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to analyse the effect of premium pricing on forecast (a) passenger demand, (b) revenues and (c) benefit to cost ratios for High Speed 2; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Economic Case for HS2 and associated forecasts of demand and revenue currently assume that the structure of high speed fares are comparable to the existing network. The Department, working closely with HS2 Ltd, is considering the potential benefits that could be secured from more sophisticated pricing policies across both the HS2 and classic networks.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reach a decision on how rolling stock for phase one of High Speed 2 will be financed.

Simon Burns: HS2 rolling stock is not due to come into service until late 2026. No decision on rolling stock procurement and financing has yet been taken. The Department will decide how the trains will be funded in due course.

Highways Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Highways Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The estimated expenditure for the Highways Agency headquarters and other office costs is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2013-14 10.894 
			 2014-15 10.123 
		
	
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way.

Information Officers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff have worked in his Department on media and communications matters in each year since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The estimated full time equivalent (FTE) number of staff who worked on communications activities, which includes internal communications, website and other digital communications, strategic communications and planning, marketing and public information campaigns and partnerships, publishing, speechwriting, news media and press work for the financial years 2010/11 to 2012/13 is as follows:
	
		
			 Staff full time equivalent numbers 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Department for Transport (Central) 61.2 55.0 56.5 
			 Driving Standards Agency(1) 13.4 12.2 12.2 
		
	
	
		
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency(2) n/a 25.4 39.3 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency(3) Nil Nil Nil 
			 Highways Agency(4) 66.7 53.1 44.8 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency(5) 6.9 6.9 6.9 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency Nil Nil Nil 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 6.6 6.6 7.6(6) 
			 (1) DSA figures are as at 31 May in each year. (2) DVLA figure for 2012/13 reflects a re-alignment of roles across the organisation and the figure for 2010/11 can only be provided at disproportionate cost. (3) GCDA ceased to be an agency on 30 September 2012. (4) HA figures are as at 31 March 2010, 30 September 2011 and 1 January 2013. (5 )MCA figures relate to posts, actual staff numbers can only be provided at disproportionate cost. (6) VOSA figure for 2012/13 is for 1 January 2013. 
		
	
	The estimated 167.3, full time equivalent, staff employed on communications activities in the Department and its Executive Agencies in 2012/13 is a 30% reduction on the 240.1 FTE estimated for 2009/10 and provided in my answer to the Rt. Hon. Member for Angus on 10 February 2011 [Official Report, column 408W].

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Maritime and Coastguard Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The accommodation and running costs budget for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency headquarters is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2013-14 2,827,308 
			 2014-15 2,827,042 
		
	
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way.

Mass Media

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's budgeted or estimated expenditure on media and communications is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: Communications expenditure may arise as part of a project or programme and corporate plans do not seek to indentify all communications expenditure separately. Corporate communications functions do not necessarily align with budget boundaries, particularly in the Executive Agencies where some do not have dedicated communications resources. For this reason, it is not possible to comprehensive estimates for communications expenditure for current and future years.
	The central Department's Group Communications Directorate administration budget for 2013/14 is £4.282 million. Group Communications' activities include internal communications, website and other digital communications, strategic communications and planning, marketing and public information campaigns and partnerships, publishing, speechwriting, news media and press work.
	Group Communications' 2013/14 programme resource is £3.91 million of which £3.75 million is allocated to THINK! Road Safety campaigns and £160,000 is allocated to digital customer communications on our public and business facing services.

Mass Media

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on media and communications in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Norman Baker: The cost of communications which includes internal communications, website and other digital communications, strategic communications and planning, marketing and public information campaigns and partnerships, publishing, speechwriting, news media and press work and associated staff costs for the Department and its Executive Agencies for the financial year 2012/13 is, on a like for like basis, 76% less than the £63.1m recorded for 2009/10.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Cost of Communications 
			  (a) 2010/11 (b) 2011/12 (c) 2012/13 
			 Department for Transport (Central)(1) 9.53 10.05 8.02 
			 Driving Standards Agency 0.68 0.43 0.82 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 4.00 1.20 1.65 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency Nil Nil Nil 
			 Highways Agency(2) 5.14 4.32 3.29 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 0.71 0.63 0.68 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency(3) 0.09 0.02 0.04 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 0.35 0.34 0.43 
			 Total 20.50 16.99 14.94 
			 (1) Statutory public notice advertising costs for the central Department of £19k for 2010/11 and £496k for 2011/12 are included in the figures above. The 2012/13 cost of £398k is not included above. (2) The Highways Agency figures do not include statutory public notice advertising costs of £1.90m, £1.25m, and £1.31m for 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 respectively. (3) The Vehicle Certification Agency was not included in the. 2009/10 or 2012/13 Operational Efficiency Programme costs but figures have been provided here for completeness. 
		
	
	Estimates for 2010/11 and 2011/12 were compiled for inclusion in Quarterly Data Summaries published by the Department and the 2012/13 estimate was prepared using definitions from the Operational Efficiency Programme.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his Department's expenditure on special adviser salaries was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13;
	(2)  what his Department's budgeted or estimated expenditure on special adviser salaries is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: Details of special advisers’ pay-bands and salaries are published quarterly and can be accessed via the following link;.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs
	The latest quarterly information will be published in due course.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's expenditure on special adviser travel by each mode of transport was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Norman Baker: Prior to 2012, the Department did not record expenditure on each individual mode of transport separately. As a result, the only figures available are those for 2012-13. However, the total expenditure for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is available and these figures are presented in the following table. By way of comparison, a total of £9,821 was spent in 2009-10.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Mode of transport 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Air travel — — 1,286 
			 Rail travel — — 1,717 
			 Taxis — — 6 
			 Other — — 66 
			 Total 653 638 3075

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's budgeted or estimated expenditure on special adviser travel is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: The Department's budgeted expenditure on Special Adviser Travel for 2013-14 is £2800. The budgets for 2014-15 and 2015-16 have not yet been agreed.

Mobile Phones

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; how much is paid each year under that contract; how many individual services are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and (a) when and (b) how the contract will next be renewed.

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has contracts with two mobile phone companies, Vodafone and Orange, which provide telephony services. Over the last four financial years the MCA has spent:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year Vodafone Orange 
			 2009-10 68,264 82,038 
			 2010-11 109,319 77,930 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 129,389 73,535 
			 2012-13 140,000 177,861 
		
	
	The MCA currently has 1,350 devices providing a service, 930 with Vodafone and 420 with Orange.
	Both the Vodafone and Orange contracts were signed up to using a Government Procurement Service (GPS) Framework Agreement.
	The framework began on 27 June 2012 and will be renewed on 1 July 2014, again using GPS frameworks.

Motorways: Safety

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent work his Department has undertaken to prevent road traffic accidents on major motorways.

Stephen Hammond: Motorways in the UK are some of the safest roads in the world. The introduction of Controlled and Managed Motorways to reduce congestion have delivered safety benefits. They achieve better driver behaviour in terms of lane discipline and speed compliance.
	The Department and its agencies also include road safety messages, where appropriate, in communication activity throughout the year, to influence and improve road user behaviour on motorways.

Northern Lighthouse Board

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the Northern Lighthouse Board budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(2)  what the Trinity House (Lighthouse) budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The budgets of the General Lighthouse Authorities are agreed annually, and are funded from the General Lighthouse Fund. Therefore, resources have not as yet been allocated to Trinity House or the Northern Lighthouse Board for 2014-15 or 2015-16.
	The General Lighthouse Authorities' corporate plans use a standard set of expenditure groupings consistent with General Lighthouse Fund requirements. A breakdown between headquarters and other office costs is not readily available, however office accommodation forms part of the total for finance, support and headquarters, accounting subheading.
	Trinity House has a budget of £5,112,000 for finance, support and headquarters in 2013-14, and the Northern Lighthouse Board £3,123,000.

Northern Lighthouse Board

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many members of staff at the Northern Lighthouse Board are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(2)  how many members of staff at Trinity House (Lighthouse) are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Stephen Hammond: There are no employees at the Northern Lighthouse Board whose basic salary exceeds £100,000. At Trinity House only one employee has a basic salary exceeding £100,000.

Passenger Focus

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Passenger Focus budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 
			 London office costs 148,000 151,000 154,000 
			 Manchester office costs 104,000 105,000 106,000 
		
	
	The office costs above represent rent, rates, service charge, and utilities for the offices Passenger Focus occupy. All payments are to other Government Departments, as Passenger Focus only occupy accommodation on the Government estate.

Passenger Focus

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff at Passenger Focus are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Simon Burns: Passenger Focus has one member of staff who is paid over £100,000 a year.

Pay

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many officials in his Department are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(2)  how many members of staff at the Driving Standards Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(3)  how many members of staff at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(4)  how many members of staff at the Highways Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(5)  how many members of staff at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(6)  how many members of staff at the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(7)  how many members of staff at the Vehicle Certification Agency are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its six Executive Agencies has 35 employees who are paid more than £100,000 per annum. The location of the staff is shown in the table below.
	
		
			  No. of staff paid more than £100,000 per annum 
			 Department for Transport (c) 22 
			 Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency 2 
			 Driving Standards Agency 1 
			 Highways Agency 6 
			 Maritime & Coastguard Agency 2 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 
			 Vehicle & Operator Services Agency 2 
			 Total 35

Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which major projects undertaken by his Department are rated at (a) green, (b) green/amber and (c) amber;
	(2)  what the budget is of each major project being undertaken by his Department which is rated at (a) green, (b) green/amber, (c) amber, (d) amber/red and (e) red;
	(3)  how much has been spent to date on each major project being undertaken by his Department;
	(4)  what the name is of each capital project being undertaken by his Department not classed as a major project; and what the (a) budget and (b) traffic light status is of each such project;
	(5)  how much his Department has spent to date on each active project not classed as a major project;
	(6)  by what period in years and months each overdue major project being undertaken by his Department has exceeded (a) the original planned delivery timetable and (b) any revised delivery timetable;
	(7)  by what period in years and months each overdue project being undertaken by his Department and not classified as a major project has exceeded (a) the original planned delivery timetable and (b) any revised delivery timetable.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport publishes information on its major projects, including data on traffic light ratings, delivery against timetable, budgets and actual spend, in the Government Major Projects Portfolio. This can be found in the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-major-projects-portfolio-data-for-dft-2013
	The Department does not currently gather central data on projects which are not classified as 'major'. However, a project management portfolio office is currently being developed within the Department to gather financial, milestone and traffic light information about non-major projects. It will focus on high priority, high risk projects in the first instance, with a view to expanding further to wider project tiers across the Department.

Property

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) land is and (b) buildings are owned by his Department and its agencies; and what the most recently assessed market value is of each.

Norman Baker: Information about the land and buildings owned by the Department for Transport is published on the data.gov.uk website. The information requested is available from the following link:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims
	Information on the market value of property is not centrally recorded and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what budget he has allocated to the Driving Standards Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(2)  what budget he has allocated to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(3)  what budget he has allocated to the Highways Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(4)  what budget he has allocated to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(5)  what budget he has allocated to the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(6)  what budget he has allocated to the Vehicle Certification Agency for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(7)  what budget he has allocated to the British Transport Police Authority for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(8)  what budget he has allocated to the Northern Lighthouse Board for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(9)  what budget he has allocated to Passenger Focus for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(10)  what budget he has allocated to Trinity House (Lighthouse) for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(11)  what total budget he has allocated for the work formerly done by the Railway Heritage Committee for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: The Departmental for Transport Group budgets are given in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2013-14 2014-15 
			 Highways Agency 4,619,687 4,742,944 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 130,307 117,637 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 173,000 163,700 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 500 500 
			 British Transport Police(1) 14,900 12,200 
			 Passenger Focus 4,930 4,950 
			 Northern Lighthouse Board 25,034 23,435 
		
	
	
		
			 Trinity House 49,435 46,201 
			 General Lighthouse Fund(2) 10,281 10,161 
			 (1) British Transport Police and British Transport Police Authority are treated as one entity in the Department's accounts, as advised by the National Audit Office. (2) General Lighthouse Fund, encompassing Trinity House and Northern Lighthouse Board. 
		
	
	Vehicle and Operator Service Agency and Driving Standards Agency are Trading Funds and are not consolidated in the Departmental Group.
	The Public Bodies (Abolition of the Railway Heritage Committee) Order 2013 abolished the Railway Heritage Committee on 1 April 2013 and transferred its powers to the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum which is overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Department has not allocated a budget in any of these years for the work formerly done by the Railway Heritage Committee.
	Budgets for 2014-15 are indicative.
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 Spending Round which is currently under way.

Railway Heritage Committee

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Railway Heritage Committee will have any ongoing headquarters or other office costs for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The Railway Heritage Committee was abolished on 1 April 2013 and does not have any ongoing headquarters or other office costs.

Railway Heritage Committee

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff of his Department are working on the functions previously carried out by the Railway Heritage Committee.

Simon Burns: The Department does not have any members of staff working on the functions previously carried out by the Railway Heritage Committee.

Railway Heritage Committee

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff working on the functions previously carried out by the Railway Heritage Committee are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Simon Burns: The Department has no staff working on the functions previously carried out by the Railway Heritage Committee.

Railway Stations

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been allocated from the New Stations Fund; and whether he plans to make further awards from the New Stations Fund.

Simon Burns: Funding from the New Stations Fund has been awarded to four stations at Newcourt in Devon, Ilkeston in Derbyshire, Lea Bridge in the London borough of Waltham Forest, and Pye Corner near Newport, totalling around £8.6 million. The strong case for a station at Kenilworth was noted, therefore we are minded to provide funding of £5 million towards this new station, subject to the new station's integration into the programme of wider improvement works in the area, which are set out in Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan published in January 2013. The evaluation of one of the bids received continues, so there is the possibility of a further award.

Railways: EU Law

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have met the European Commission to discuss the Fourth Railway Package in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), attended a Transport Council meeting on 11 March to discuss the technical pillar of the package. In addition officials have met with the Commission to discuss this pillar on the following dates: 24 and 26 of September 2012; in 2013: 26 February; 1, 19 and 26 of March; 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 23, 29 April; 7, 8, 14, 23 and 27 of May; and 3 June.

Railways: EU Law

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether in its negotiations on the European Commission's Fourth Railway Package, his Department will seek to ensure that alliances and other forms of joint working between Network Rail and train operators are not prohibited or unduly restricted by EU legislation.

Simon Burns: Yes. We are concerned that the way that the European Commission's proposals are formulated may prohibit certain types of alliance including those between Network Rail and railway undertakings and joint working arrangements such as integrated control centres and performance improvement projects. We will continue to engage with the European Commission and Parliament and with other member states to ensure our concerns are addressed in the final proposals.

Rescue Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support his Department gives to mountain rescue teams.

Stephen Hammond: The Government provides financial support allocating £200,000 per annum to the three UK mountain rescue organisations for the four-year period 2011-12 to 2014-15. The breakdown for the current financial year is as follows:
	£64,000 is allocated to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland;
	£128,000 is allocated to Mountain Rescue England and Wales; and
	£8,000 is allocated to Mountain Rescue Northern Ireland.

Roads: Lighting

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 538W, on roads: lighting, if his Department will conduct an assessment of the effects of turning off street lights on the fear of crime, on emergency services and on social activities.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no current plans to conduct any such assessment. It is the responsibility of each local authority to consider what effect turning off street lights will be for the area which they are responsible. We would advise that any authority works closely with the emergency services, community safety and other key partners when considering their street lighting needs.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the annual budget required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to enforce the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) on (a) UK flagged vessels and (b) non-UK flagged vessels working out of UK ports after the MLC comes into force in August 2013.

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will enforce the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 within existing budgets. The MCA has published estimated costs of:
	(i) survey and certification of UK ships of 500GT and over operating on international voyages; and
	(ii) inspections of UK ships of between 200GT and 500.GT operating internationally
	in the impact assessment (IA) attached to the draft Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Survey and Certification) Regulations, which was issued for public consultation in February 2013. The final IA will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament when the regulations are made. The regulations are currently being finalised post-consultation.
	No estimate has been made of the cost of enforcing the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 on non-UK ships in UK ports, since this will be integrated into the existing port State control inspection regime.
	No separate estimate has been made of the cost to the MCA of introducing a complaints procedure to help enforce the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 on UK ships and non-UK ships in UK ports. Existing arrangements to handle complaints from seafarers about their conditions of employment are well established although the number of such complaints each year is small. The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 introduces some additional rights, but the extra costs associated with handling any increase in complaints as a result is expected to be marginal.

Shipping: Training

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to protect and enhance the maritime skills base; and when he last discussed this matter with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Stephen Hammond: The maritime sector is an important contributor to the UK economy and we want to continue to see new cadets entering the industry and being trained to the highest standards. The UK sees seafarers as instrumental in supporting the UK maritime sector and we have a number of policies in place to help reverse the decline in UK seafarer numbers including Support for Maritime Training, Apprenticeships and a training requirement linked to the UK's tonnage tax regime. There is continuous dialogue on Maritime skills policy between officials at DFT, BIS and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
	I hosted the first of a series of maritime round tables in March 2013, involving Ministers and senior representatives from DFT, BIS, Cabinet Office and the MCA together with industry champions from Maritime UK and the Lloyds Register. The focus of the round table was to discuss a joint strategic approach to Maritime, to enable continued growth of the sector and improved joint working on maritime affairs of which maritime skills was part of that discussion. The next is expected to be held in July.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Norman Baker: The Equality Act 2010 provides the protection which ensures disabled people, including British Sign Language users can access goods, facilities and services, by requiring that those with duties under the Act, make 'reasonable adjustments' so that their services and functions are accessible.
	The Department for Transport takes its duties under the Act seriously. We ensure that we take account of the needs of all groups in developing our policies and delivering our services. For example, we provide written information in alternative formats such as Braille, disk, audio and large print where requested, and assess the impact of our proposals on accessibility for disabled people.
	The Driving Standards Agency has worked closely with a number of external stakeholders over recent months to review delivery of the theory driving test. This showed that the Agency could improve accessibility for deaf or hard of hearing candidates. As a result, they are considering the viability of ‘readspeaker’ software and altering their use of British Sign Language to improve the consistency of dialects and images.
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency currently has British Sign Language trained staff in some local offices in addition to a number of British Sign Language videos that have been made available on YouTube for deaf customers.
	The Highways Agency offers Royal National Institute for the Deaf’s Typetalk tool on its website as a means of contact, enabling a textphone user to dial 18001 followed by the Agency's number. The call is diverted to a Typetalk Relay Assistant who will type exactly what is being said. The Agency's Emergency Roadside Telephones also have a texting facility built in allowing for text communication between road users and the regional control centres.
	Where possible, the Vehicle Operator Services Agency will make reasonable adjustments for deaf or hard of hearing customers during court cases, public inquiries and training courses, using its language interpreter provision. VOSA examiners who carry out roadside checks and vehicle tests are fully aware of the need to ensure dialogue is understood, and will provide clear written statements during their encounters.

Speed Limits

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on signage when there are changes to speed limits.

Norman Baker: My Department issues guidance to local authorities on signing changes to speed limits in the Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 3.
	These documents can be viewed on the DfT website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's expenditure on civil service travel by each mode of transport was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its executive agencies’ expenditure on civil service travel by mode was:
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Air 1,275,809 1,323,561 (1)2,691,724 
			 Car 2,321,652 2,364,854 2,416,905 
			 Rail 1,926,235 1,957,162 (1)2,478,351 
			 Taxi 60,890 62,645 (1)417,750 
			 Other modes 60,090 62,830 105,659 
			 Non-specified 10,749,983 10,637,865 8,709,494 
			 Total 16,394,659 16,408,917 16,819,883 
			 (1) In years 2010-11 and 2011-12, the central Department reported air, rail and taxi travel under the ‘non-specified’ row. Since 2012-13 monies spent by the central Department have been broken down by mode. This gives the appearance of a substantial increase in spending in this area but it is not the case. Notes: To provide a breakdown by mode for the central Department for 2010-11 and/or 2011-12 would incur disproportionate costs. 2. Most of VCA's travel costs are recharged to clients. These are the gross costs before recharge. 3. DSA does not record travel costs based on specific modes of transport. 4. MCA Car includes Taxi spend. 5. VOSA does not record travel costs at this level of detail. 6. GCDA has a nil return. 
		
	
	Within the above totals, the total spent by the central Department in 2012-13 was £2,155,963. By way of comparison, the total amount spent in 2009-10 was £4,075,711.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's budgeted or estimated expenditure on civil service travel is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Norman Baker: The budgeted expenditure for Department for Transport and its six Executive Agencies on civil service travel for 2013-14 is in the table below. The budgets for 2014-15 and 2015-16 have not yet been agreed.
	
		
			  2013-14 Budget (£) 
			 Department for Transport Central Department 3,944,833 
			 Driving Standards Agency 3,240,000 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 1,074,788 
			 Highways Agency 3,100,000 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 3,843,059 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency(1) 502,000 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 5,800,000 
			 Department for Transport and Agencies 21,504,680 
			 (1) Most of VCAs travel costs are recharged to clients. These are the gross costs before recharge. 
		
	
	By way of comparison, the actuals for the central Department in 2009/10 was £4,479,352.35.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The accommodation and running costs budget for 2013-14 and 2014-15 for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency headquarters is estimated to be £2.4 million.
	Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the north-east in each year since 2008.

Stephen Hammond: Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has employed the following number of staff at its sites in the north-east (based on the area governed by the North Eastern Traffic Commissioner), at Beverley, Darlington, Doncaster, Grimsby, Leeds (which includes the North Eastern TAO), Newcastle, Scarborough, Walton and Watnall:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of staff 
			 2008-09 371 
			 2009-10 348 
			 2010-11 317 
			 2011-12 310 
			 2012-13 333

Vehicle Certification Agency

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Vehicle Certification Agency budgeted or estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The accommodation and running costs budget for 2013-14 and 2014-15 for the Vehicle Certification Agency headquarters and other office costs is estimated to be approximately £647,000.
	Future years' budgets are still subject to the 2013 spending review.

Vetting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that infrastructure projects for his Department are not delivered by firms involved in the blacklisting of construction workers.

Stephen Hammond: We would expect all companies regardless of whether they are working for Government or not to abide by the law including compliance with the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010.

EDUCATION

Academic Year

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to alter the school calendar and school day; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State has encouraged all schools to consider making changes to the school day and calendar. Schools and, where relevant, local authorities have the freedom to make changes to the school day and calendar as they see fit.

Academies

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the designated duties of academy brokers are; how many academy brokers are currently employed; what the daily rate of pay for such brokers is; and what the total expenditure of academy brokers was in the last year.

Edward Timpson: A copy of schedule one of the brokers' contracts detailing their duties has already been placed in the House Libraries and is a matter of public record.
	The Department currently contracts with 37 brokers. It would not be appropriate to make brokers' day rates public as this would break contractual confidentiality and likely affect the Department's ability to continue to negotiate better value contracts in future. The day rates of academy brokers have been reduced significantly since 2010. Total expenditure on brokers for the last financial year was £4.4 million.
	Brokers have been used throughout the Academies programme on similar contractual arrangements since 2004. Since May 2010, the Department has successfully negotiated cheaper rates with brokers, delivering greater value for money for taxpayers. Brokers have been instrumental in developing 496 sponsored academy solutions since September 2010; improving the education opportunities for thousands of children.

Academies: North Tyneside

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what agreements he has signed setting up Academy schools in North Tyneside since May 2010.

Edward Timpson: Since May 2010 the Secretary of State for Education has signed two agreements to set up academy schools in North Tyneside. The academy schools that have opened in North Tyneside are St Thomas More Roman Catholic Academy in December 2011 and Grasmere Academy in September 2012.
	Details about all open academy schools up to May 2013 are available on the Department for Education's website and can be found using the link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/open/b00208569/open-academies

Academies: North Tyneside

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to sign-off the agreement setting up the Kings Priory Academy.

Edward Timpson: As with all academy proposals, the Secretary of State for Education will make a decision on signing the funding agreement for the proposed Kings Priory Academy when the proposal is fully developed and all pre-opening requirements have been met.

Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the names, job titles, area of work, term of appointment and civil service equivalent grade are of personnel currently seconded to his Department from the big four accountancy firms.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has one secondee from the “big four”, working in the Corporate Finance Team as a management accountant. As this is a reciprocating placement, there is no payment involved and no equivalent civil service grade. The placement started on 5 November 2012 and is due to end on 30 June 2013.

Business: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to assist and encourage charitable organisations in educating school pupils about business and associated skills.

Matthew Hancock: Business education is important for the Department and head teachers are encouraged to work with charitable organisations to develop their pupils' entrepreneurial skills. Schools have the freedom to decide how they wish to encourage business skills and they will work with relevant organisations, including those from charitable organisations, to provide the most appropriate opportunities for their pupils' needs. Charities can apply to establish free schools and Studio Schools, and can partner employers and universities to establish University Technical Colleges (UTCs). UTCs and Studio Schools provide innovative ways for employers and other organisations, including charities, to help address the skills shortages identified by employers and to give young people the skills that businesses need. Employers make significant contributions by assisting with planning the curriculum and providing mentoring and work experience opportunities for young people.

Children in Care: Death

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many deaths of formerly looked-after children placed on a local authority pathway plan in the last five years have been subject to a serious case review;
	(2)  how many deaths there have been of formerly looked-after young people aged between (a) 16 and 19 and (b) 19 and 21 who were on a local authority pathway plan in the last five years; and what the recorded cause of death was in each case.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect information on former looked-after children placed on a local authority pathway plan.
	The Department is reliant on Local Safeguarding Children Boards to inform it when they publish serious case reviews and this does not always happen in practice. As a result we are currently unable to provide an accurate figure on the number of deaths of former looked-after children placed on a local authority pathway plan in the last five years who have been subject to a serious case review.

Education

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department is making on ensuring an appropriate separation between awarding organisations and bodies that publish educational textbooks and other educational materials.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department recognises concerns about the links between awarding organisations and bodies that publish text books.
	Ofqual published an action plan last November on the arrangements that awarding organisations have in place for the publication of learning resources linked to their specifications, including textbooks. It is undertaking a general review of the processes by which awarding organisations endorse text books relating to GCSE and A-level qualifications, the marketing of such text books, and their impact on the type and choice of resources available. The review will include consideration of whether there are alternatives to awarding organisation endorsement, and is expected to be completed by August 2013.
	Ofqual has also undertaken a specific review of the business separation measures that Pearson operates between its publishing and awarding functions, including arrangements for managing conflicts of interest. Ofqual expects to publish the findings of this review in July 2013.
	The outcomes from Ofqual's work will inform proposals for future publishing arrangements to support the delivery of reformed A-level and GCSE qualifications.

Education

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what data assessment his Department has made of the performance of (a) children on free school meals and (b) children not on free school meals in (i) London and (ii) other parts of the country (A) in secondary education before 2005 and (B) in primary education in 2009.

David Laws: At secondary school level, the Department published final data for 2009 on the performance of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and all other pupils within all regions and local authorities within table 5 of the 'GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics in England: 2011 to 2012' statistical first release. These data can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-in-england
	Table 5 can be found within the 'National and local authority tables: SFR04/2013' link.
	At primary school level, the Department published final data for 2009 on the performance of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils not eligible for free school meals for all regions and local authorities within table 5 of the 'Provisional key stage 2 attainment by pupil characteristics in England: academic year 2009 to 2010' statistical first release, which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-england-2009-and-2010-provisional
	Table 5 can be found within the 'National and local authority tables: SFR35/2010' link.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent on and how many people received education maintenance allowance in (a) England and (b) Oxfordshire in the last full year of that scheme's operation.

David Laws: The last full year of the education maintenance allowance was 2009/10, as the scheme was closed to new applications after 31 December 2010. In 2009/10, £560,609,690 was spent on the scheme in England, with 644,641 young people receiving payments. Over the same period in Oxfordshire, £3,996,175 was spent on the scheme, and there were 4,511 recipients.

Education: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much capital expenditure there has been in the education sector in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency in each year since 2010.

David Laws: The Department allocates the majority of capital funding at a local authority level and relatively small amounts at a school level through devolved formula capital and the academies' capital maintenance fund. The following table shows the total capital allocations made to the area covered by Birmingham City Council, which includes the Birmingham Hall Green constituency, for each year since 2010.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 128 
			 2011-12 188 
			 2012-13 127 
			 2013-14(1) 54 
			 (1) Includes basic need 13-15.

E-mail

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 478W, on email, when the guidance on the use of private email accounts that complies with the recommendation of the Information Commissioner was issued to (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department; if he will place a copy of that guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1095W.

E-mail

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental email accounts he has used for official government business in the last 12 months;
	(2)  on how many occasions he has been asked to conduct a search of the Mrs Blurt email account for items that discuss official government business for requests to his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), uses equipment and systems provided by the Department and his own IT equipment as appropriate, depending on his location and circumstances. Where information is generated in the course of conducting Government business, it is stored on departmental systems and renders searches of non-departmental e-mails unnecessary. This complies with the Information Commissioner's recommendations.
	In compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Department carries out reasonable searches in response for any request for information.

Free School Meals

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many school students in (a) England and (b) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency are eligible for free school meals.

David Laws: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency, Birmingham local authority and England is shown in the following table.
	Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals as of January 2012 is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012’, which is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, state-funded special schools and pupil referral units(1,2,3,4): Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6,7), January 2012, England, Birmingham local authority and Birmingham Hall Green constituency 
			  Maintained nursery and state-funded primary schools(1,2) State-funded secondary schools(1,3) Special schools(4) 
			  No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 3,947,650 760,910 19.3 2,809,815 449,485 16.0 80,505 30,170 37.5 
			 Birmingham local authority 99,964 34,105 34.1 61,440 20,248 33.0 2,946 1,534 52.1 
			 Birmingham, Hall Green constituency 13,137 3,999 30.4 5,393 1,254 23.3 170 62 36.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupil Referral Units Total(7) 
			  No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 13,235 4,855 36.7 6,851,205 1,245,420 18.2 
			 Birmingham local authority 340 186 54.7 164,690 56,075 34.0 
			 Birmingham, Hall Green constituency n/a n/a n/a 18,700 5,315 28.4 
			 n/a = Not applicable, no schools of this type (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes all primary academies, including free schools. (3) Includes city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including free schools. (4) Includes maintained special schools, special academies and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (6) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (7) Includes maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, state-funded special schools, and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in other alternative provision as full and part time status is not collected. Note: National figures and totals have been rounded to the nearest five. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. Source: School Census

Free Schools

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether all students attending all free schools will be eligible for free school meals.

David Laws: As in all maintained schools and academies, pupils attending free schools are eligible to receive free school meals if they meet the entitlement criteria. Pupils in 16 to 19 free schools are not eligible for free school meals; this is consistent with other wholly post-16 education institutions.

Freedom of Information

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training (a) he and (b) special advisers in his Department have received on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since May 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: Incoming Ministers are briefed on their responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In common with all officials in the Department, Ministers and special advisors also have access to a number of sources of information on the Act, including guidance published by the Information Commissioner's Office.

GCSE: Cannock Chase

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in state schools in Cannock Chase constituency achieved five GCSE passes at A* to C-grade, including mathematics and English, in each of the last seven years.

Elizabeth Truss: The requested information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4 (KS4) achieving 5+ GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent including English and mathematics GCSEs in Cannock Chase. Years: 2005/06 to 2011/12(1, 2). Coverage: State-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) in Cannock Chase parliamentary constituency(3, 4) 
			  End of KS4 
			 Cannock Chase Number of pupils at the end of KS4 Number of End of KS4 pupils achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C inc. English and Maths Percentage achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C inc. English and Maths 
			 2005/06 1,303 399 30.6 
			 2006/07 1,405 524 37.3 
		
	
	
		
			 2007/08 1,319 534 40.5 
			 2008/09 1,234 512 41.5 
			 2009/10 1,285 582 45.3 
			 2010/11 1,154 585 50.7 
			 2011/12 1,225 652 53.2 
			 (1) All figures are based on final data. (2) From 2009/10 iGCSEs, accredited at time of publication, have been counted as GCSE equivalents and also as English and mathematics GCSEs. (3) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (4) The figures in this table do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. Source: National Pupil Database

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom such sums were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012;
	(3)  how much his Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012;
	(4)  what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department since 7 May 2010 was.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not hold the information requested centrally, only in the form of individual invoices. Extracting this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Attendance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's policy is on flexi-schooling; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: Flexi-schooling is a combination of attendance at school and home education. Schools may enter into flexi-schooling arrangements provided they correctly mark children as absent in attendance registers when they are being educated at home.

Schools

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress schools have made on making savings in back office and procurement services; and what estimate he has made of the total predicted saving by 2014-15.

David Laws: As part of the spending review 2010, we asked schools to make savings in procurement and back office functions to allow more money to be invested directly in frontline teaching. We will not be able to accurately measure the impact of any changes in schools' spending habits in the first year of the spending review period until academies' expenditure data for 2011-12 are available later this year.
	As announced in the Budget statement in March, we are currently conducting a review of efficiency in schools to learn more about how schools spend their money and what could be done to support them to invest in those areas which are proven to have an impact on pupil achievement. The outcomes of the review will be published later this month.

Schools: Corby

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision of school places in Corby constituency over the next 20 years.

David Laws: It is the responsibility of each local authority to accommodate the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory age who wants one. The Department relies on local authorities for information on school capacity in their area.
	The most recent information available on primary and secondary school capacity in Northamptonshire relates to the position as at May 2012. At that time the local authority forecast an increase in primary pupil numbers of 8,413 (15%) between 2011/12 and 2016/17, and an increase in secondary pupil numbers of 2,784 (6%) between 2011/12 and 2018/19.
	Local authorities group their schools into planning areas for the purposes of planning local school place provision. Based on available places in 2011/12, Northamptonshire local authority forecast a shortfall of over 700 primary places (12%) by 2015/16 in the Corby planning area. However, this does not take into account the 800 places the local authority expects to add in Corby by 2013,
	At secondary level, based on available places in 2011/12, Northamptonshire local authority is forecasting a shortfall of around 60 places (2%) by 2015/16 in the Corby planning-area.
	The Department has allocated £41 million in basic need funding to the local authority in the current spending review period to support the provision of additional school places (2011/12 to 2014/15). This compares with £29.05 million allocated in the previous four year period (2007/08 to 2010/11).

Schools: Swimming

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the provision of swimming in primary schools.

Edward Timpson: The Secretary of State was recently advised by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) of the imminent publication of its 2013 state of the nation report on school swimming, “Learning the Lesson”. I expect to meet the chief executive of the association shortly.
	ASA was one of a wide number of bodies consulted by the Department prior to the Prime Minister's announcement of new funding for sport and physical education in primary schools in March. In the last month the Secretary of State has also received correspondence from two MPs, both drawing his attention to the ASA report, and from a primary school pupil who asked him if her primary academy could have more swimming lessons.

Schools: Swimming

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to improve access to swimming lessons for schoolchildren.

Edward Timpson: Swimming has been a compulsory part of the primary national curriculum since 1992, and as such schools should plan to fund its provision from their core budgets.
	In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils' access to swimming lessons.

Schools: Transport

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Gateshead of 1 March 2013, Official Report, columns 753-54W, on schools: transport, if he will take steps to update his Department's statutory guidance to local authorities regarding transport for 16 to18-year-olds.

David Laws: The responsibility for post-16 transport support lies with local authorities. They have a legal duty to set out in an annual transport statement the arrangements they consider necessary to enable young people to attend post-16 education. The Department provides statutory guidance to local authorities on how they should fulfil the duty.
	The Government has no plans to change this duty. The current post-16 transport guidance for local authorities reflects the existing duty; no substantive changes to the guidance are planned.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in (a) England and (b) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency secured places at (i) their first choice and (ii) one of their top three choices of secondary school in the most recent application period.

David Laws: Data on the proportion of pupils being offered a place at one of their preferred schools are published in the annual Statistical First Release ‘Secondary school applications and offers in England’. These data are collected at local authority level only so data for Birmingham, Hall Green parliamentary constituency are not available. Figures for the last five years are given in the following table for England and the local authority of Birmingham (which includes Hall Green parliamentary constituency).
	
		
			 Applications and offers for entry to secondary schools in England and Birmingham local authority, academic years 2009/10 to 2013/14 
			  Birmingham England 
			  Percentage offered first preference school Percentage offered one of top three preferences Percentage offered first preference school Percentage offered one of top three preferences 
			 2013 72.8 89.7 86.7 96.5 
			 2012 67.2 85.2 85.3 95.9 
			 2011 68.0 85.9 84.6 95.6 
			 2010 66.5 85.3 83.2 95.9 
			 2009 67.9 86.6 83.2 94.6 
			 Note: Data collected from local authorities on National Offers day each year in early March. 
		
	
	The figures for each year were published in an annual Statistical First Release ‘Secondary school applications and offers in England’. Figures for the most recent three years can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/series/statistics-school-applications
	Those for 2009 and 2010 can be found on the national archives website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics?page=1

Secondary Education: Mental Health Services

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects on performance in exams, sport and music of the use of mindfulness in secondary schools.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has not conducted an assessment of the effects on performance in exams, sport and music of mindfulness in secondary schools. Individual headteachers can decide whether they wish to adopt approaches relating to mindfulness.

Special Educational Needs

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish plans for the introduction of a single category of special educational need.

Edward Timpson: The Department will publish details of a new approach for children with special educational needs (SEN) as part of a new SEN Code of Practice.
	An indicative SEN Code of Practice which includes the draft SEN support was published during the Committee Stages of the Children and Families Bill. The Department is engaging with a range of interested parties before producing a full draft for public consultation in autumn 2013.
	Subject to the passage of the Children and Families Bill, the resulting Code will be laid before Parliament in early 2014 with the aim of it being approved by spring 2014.

Teachers

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of teaching appointments were made through (a) Teach First and (b) other routes in each Government office region in the last year for which information is available.

David Laws: The Department does not have data for teaching appointments as such. It does, however, collect data for employed newly qualified teachers by Government office region of their employing school. The following table shows these data for the latest year they are available, which is the 2009/10 cohort of trainees employed in 2010/11.
	
		
			 Employment of the 2009/10 cohort of newly qualified teachers in 2011 
			 Government office region of employing school Teach First Other routes 
			 Eastern 0 100 
			 East Midlands 1 99 
			 London 5 95 
			 North East 0 100 
			 North West 2 98 
			 South East 0 100 
			 South West 0 100 
			 West Midlands 2 98 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 2 98 
			 Total 1 99

Teachers: Pay

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the recommendations within the 2013 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document on the (a) recruitment and retention of quality and experienced staff within schools, (b) time that governing bodies in schools will have to allocate to determining staff salaries and (c) morale of the teaching profession.

David Laws: Pay is one of a number of factors that are known to influence whether individuals choose to enter the teaching profession and continue to work as teachers. The changes to teachers' pay, which are due to be implemented from September 2013, will give schools the flexibility to set pay within a broad national framework and pay the best teachers more. Schools are best placed to develop the right package of reward and support that will attract the right people into the profession, help new teachers to continue to develop throughout their careers, and retain in the profession those teachers that make the biggest contribution to the attainment of their pupils.
	We have provided advice to schools and governing bodies to support their implementation of the pay reforms. It will be for individual schools and governing bodies to decide the time commitment required to undertake this role.
	We believe that strengthening the link between performance and pay will ensure that high-performing teachers are properly rewarded for the excellent work that they do and that this will contribute to raising the morale of the profession.

Teachers: Pensions

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people were overpaid their pension by Teachers' Pensions in each year since 1997-98; how much was overpaid in each such year; and how much was recovered.

David Laws: Due to the nature of overpayment recovery, it is not possible to provide all of the information in the format requested. We also do not have information on how many individuals have been overpaid their pension on a yearly basis.
	Pension overpayments can arise for a number of reasons if Teachers' Pensions are not notified of a change in a member's circumstances. Invoices are sometimes cancelled when subsequent information confirms that there has not in fact been an overpayment of pension. Recent improvements in Teachers' Pensions' systems now enable us to exclude these invoices, which was not possible at the time I responded to the hon. Member's previous question on this issue on 26 November 2012, Official Report, column 7W. Therefore the figures in the table vary from those previously provided.
	The table provides the total invoices for overpayments issued for each year since 1997. However, overpayments can occur over a number of years, and an invoice can relate to several previous financial years. It also shows the amount of overpayments recovered per year, but this may relate to an invoice issued that year or a previous year where debt recovery has taken some time. These figures also exclude cases where the overpayment has been secured for future recovery, for example through offsetting of future benefits, or the placing of a charge on a member's property when they have demonstrated that immediate repayment would cause hardship, as defined by HM Treasury's guidelines.
	The difference between the two columns reflects the remaining balance which is still subject to recovery action and the approximate 1.5% of the total debt that has been written off in accordance with HM Treasury guidelines.
	
		
			  Numbers of invoices in-year Amount invoiced in-year (£) Amount recovered in-year (£). 
			 1997-98 3,297 4,297,086.24 -3,787,792.40 
			 1998-99 3,495 1,774,383.06 -1,571,506.53 
			 1999-2000 3,083 1,868,144.89 -1,824,733.05 
			 2000-01 3,442 2,396,255.55 -2,175,780.07 
			 2001-02 1,042 2,673,309.94 -2,571,688.40 
			 2002-03 2,829 2,525,458.25 -2,405,896.65 
			 2003-04 2,885 2,228,107.82 -2,401,678.08 
			 2004-05 2,745 3,014,458.37 -2,762,464.41' 
			 2005-06 2,602 3,292,397.23 -3,270,664.46 
			 2006-07 2,062 3,381,361.97 -3,110,669.32 
			 2007-08 2,118 4,122,605.42 -3,208,865.84 
			 2008-09 2,690 4,175,037.81 -3,313,100.35 
			 2009-10 2,904 7,781,749.18 -5,399,593.99 
			 2010-11 3,009 5,475,087.14 -5,639,073.49 
			 2011-12 3,266 8,597,814.10 -6,531,272.17 
			 2012-13 5,305 12,291,564.28 -9,552,789.20 
		
	
	The recent increase in debts invoiced is because the Teachers' Pensions has put in place new arrangements to identify overpayments, which have identified a number of historic cases. We expect this increase to be a one-off and that the level of invoiced debt will reduce as the new arrangements take effect.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Elizabeth Truss: Neither the Department nor its agencies receive any financial or non-financial benefit from telephone providers in respect of our public telephone lines.

UK Trade and Investment

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what input he has had during the recruiting process of the new education advisory group to UK Trade and Investment;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to assist UK Trade and Investment to promote UK education exports abroad in (a) emerging and (b) other overseas markets.

Matthew Hancock: UK Trade and Investment and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills lead on the promotion of UK education exports, working with other Government Departments and key sector partners. The new Education UK Unit is responsible for co-ordinating government action to promote large-scale UK exports across the education sector, including schools. The Education UK Unit and UKTI are part of the civil service, and staff members have been recruited in a manner consistent with other departmental staff.
	The Department for Education is providing assistance to the UK's education export agenda in specific areas, for example, through its support to the network of British Schools Overseas.

Vetting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that infrastructure projects for his Department are not delivered by firms involved in the blacklisting of construction workers.

David Laws: We are, of course, aware of the ongoing investigations into serious allegations of blacklisting in the construction industry, as explored by the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee in their Interim Report, ‘Blacklisting in Employment’, published on 16 April 2013. The practice of blacklisting, and refusing to hire a potential employee for discriminatory reasons, was made illegal under the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 and we expect all contractors to comply with this legislation. Following the publication of the Interim Report, we will seek confirmation from all who bid for work directly procured by the Department that they do not carry out such practices. We will, of course, consider the full recommendations of the final report once published, and comply with any that are accepted by the Government.

Written Questions

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department operates a list of hon. Members for whom parliamentary questions are processed and responded to in a different way to other hon. Members.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education processes and responds to parliamentary questions from hon. Members in the same way. Responses are drafted by the area of the Department with responsibility for the topic raised in the question.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Arts: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of local authority subsidy to the arts in the latest period for which figures are available.

Brandon Lewis: Figures for local authority expenditure on cultural, environmental, regulatory and planning services in England in 2011-12 have been published at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/28622/Revenue_Outturn_RO5_data_2011-12_by_LA_-_27-Nov-2012-v2.xls
	Expenditure on the arts is included within the culture and heritage section, line numbers 111 to 115.
	These data are as reported on the annual Revenue Outturn forms submitted to DCLG by all English local authorities.

Community Assets Programme

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes to the planning system he is making to help protect public houses and other valued community assets.

Nicholas Boles: We recognise the importance of public houses and other local services to local communities. Compared to the policies we inherited from the last administration, the National Planning Policy Framework provides increased protection for community facilities and states that local planning policies and decisions should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued community assets such as public houses. Communities can also use the community rights we created through the Localism Act to help protect public houses and other community assets. This is happening through the development of neighbourhood plans and the inclusion of public houses as assets of community value. The Community Right to Bid has already been used to list at least 360 assets of community value, of which 67 are public houses.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in his Department are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government currently has one senior civil servant in a professional role on a zero-hours contract. The individual is Sir Ken Knight who moved to a zero-hour contract on 1 November 2012. This is a short-term arrangement for Sir Ken to complete a review of the operational efficiency of the services delivered by the fire and rescue authorities in England and to give the Department access to professional advice during the appointment of and handover to a new Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
	The arrangement is due to finish at the end of June 2013.

Empty Property: Council Tax

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have chosen to set their council tax rate for empty properties at above 100 per cent in the 2013-14 financial year.

Brandon Lewis: 233 local authorities in England have chosen to set their council tax rate for long-term empty properties at above 100 per cent in the 2013-14 financial year. This will help to encourage long-term empty properties to be brought back into productive use, increasing housing supply and improving local amenity. It will also raise revenue that can be used to keep overall council tax bills down for hard working families and pensioners.

Fire Services

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of Facing the Future: findings from the review of efficiency and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England, produced by Sir Ken Knight in May 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: I was pleased to receive Sir Ken Knight's review and the thought provoking findings it presented. I shall be considering Sir Ken's findings fully and expect to respond formally in the autumn.

Fire Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he is confident that his plan for the mutualisation of the fire service will not lead to its privatisation.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG have made it very clear that we will not make any moves on mutualisation that would lead to privatisation. Our only aim is to support fire and rescue authorities in exploring the best way of delivering their services to meet the needs of their communities.

Fire Services

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish the corresponding names of the fire and rescue authorities with reference to Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Sir Ken Knight's Facing The Future report published in May 2013.

Brandon Lewis: I understand that in preparing his independent report “Facing The Future”, Sir Ken took a decision to anonymise the data. He stated in a teleconference on the matter that he felt publishing unanonymised would skew the debate as he wanted fire and rescue authorities to focus on the principles in his report, saying:
	“The reason why I anonymised (the data) was quite deliberate... I felt it would skew the debate in to those seeing whether they were in the best or worst area of the quartile. I would rather have a much more collective, fundamental debate about the nature of the service.”
	The link to the full discussion is here
	http://soundcloud.com/geykyn/fire-service-teleconference
	It is also our understanding that all the data are from publicly available data sources, namely from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Fire Statistics 2011-12 Actuals. These data are supplied by fire and rescue authorities directly.

Fire Services: Emergency Calls

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the response time for the fire and rescue services to respond to a 999 call in (a) Dorset and (b) London is; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: These data are published with the Fire Incidents Response Times. This can be downloaded from:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/fire-incidents-response-times

Housing Benefit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the housing cost contribution under universal credit.

Brandon Lewis: My Department has regular discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of matters, including universal credit.
	Officials from both Departments are currently working on joint Direct Payment Demonstration projects supporting six local authorities and housing partnerships to test the payment of housing support direct to tenants.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on consulting on next steps for zero carbon homes.

Don Foster: As announced in the Budget, the Government is currently working on consultation proposals on the next steps to zero carbon homes, including the means of delivering allowable solutions.

Land Registry: Fees and Charges

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial counterparts on the Land Registry prototype for the provision of local land charges;
	(2)  what recent correspondence he has had with (a) Lord McNally and (b) other Ministers in the Ministry of Justice on the prototype of the Provision of Local Land Charges.

Nicholas Boles: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.

Local Authorities: Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will encourage local authorities to follow the example of Cumberland in raising awareness of their county flags and coats of arms.

Brandon Lewis: Since May 2010, my Department has taken a series of steps to champion the flying of local and national flags across the United Kingdom.
	We have regularly flown county flags from outside our offices in Victoria to mark county days or those of their patron saints, and we have explicitly recognised England's traditional counties such as Cumberland and Middlesex. We have also recognised wider localities, such as the kingdom of Wessex, which was the foundation of the English nation.
	Previously, many parts of Whitehall and municipal officialdom have shunned our traditional and historic identities, many of which date back over a thousand years of English history. Our moves to champion local identities complements this Government's abolition of unelected regional government in England which was based on European Union's artificial “NUTS1” administrative boundaries.
	My Department has amended the law to make it easier to fly flags without a permit from the council. A plain English guide, which provides a brief summary of the simplified rules over flag flying, is available online:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/flying-flags-a-plain-english-guide
	We have encouraged councils to fly the Cross of St George with pride and we have challenged the tiny minority who have foolishly tried to ban the flying of our national flags for the misplaced fear of “giving offence”. Community cohesion is strengthened—not undermined—by flying the flag.
	We have not undertaken an explicit programme to raise awareness of coats of arms, but I would welcome suggestions from my hon. Friend and other hon. Members. I am also keen to support local communities, be they a county, district, borough, city, town, village, burgh, parish or riding, in establishing and flying their own local flags.
	Of course, flying a flag should be a pleasure, not a chore. Our actions in supporting local people in flying their flags with pride are in contrast with the draconian actions of the European Commission, which has sought to bully Britons into flying the EU flag under the threat of fines through Article 7(2) of EC Regulation 1828/2006. Any institution which seeks to coerce people into flying its flag is one with a deep sense of insecurity about the lack of its public affection and support.

Local Government Finance: North West

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the spending power per head of (a) Barrow and Furness, (b) South Lakeland, (c) Eden, (d) Allerdale, (e) Copeland and (f) Carlisle district councils was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the spending power per head of (a) Cumbria and (b) Lancashire county councils was in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Spending power has been calculated only for the years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 (provisional). Spending power and population figures for all local authorities in England have been published on our website at:
	2013-14 settlement and provisional 2014-15 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1314/settle.htm
	2012-13 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htm
	2011-12 settlement:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm

Local Government: Constituencies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has to raise awareness of historic county boundaries amongst (a) children and young people and (b) other people.

Brandon Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to my Department's press notice of 23 April 2013, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Local Government: Newspaper Press

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, published in March 2011, what assessment he has made of the extent to which local authorities are continuing to publish their own newspapers.

Brandon Lewis: Information from our recent consultation indicates that over three-quarters of local authorities produce a residents' newsletter, with 10% publishing more frequently than quarterly and a small number of local authorities publishing council newspapers on a weekly or fortnightly basis; this is notwithstanding the guidance in the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity that such publications should not be issued more frequently than quarterly.
	The Local Audit and Accountability Bill contains measures to address the continuing breaches of the code by this minority of local authorities, in order to help protect an independent free press and prevent the abuse of taxpayers' money.

Local Government: Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to promote social enterprise in the supply of public goods to local authorities.

Brandon Lewis: Opening up local authority commissioning and procurement practices to small and medium business', and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors is a crucial part of the Government's work to promote local growth and innovation.
	We are engaged in a range of activity to support this. For example, on 15 May we announced the winners of the 'Best councils to do business with' contest, which identified those local authorities who are already tailoring procurement processes to local businesses and social enterprises. We wrote to all local authorities in January 2013 with the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy note to highlight the requirements of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 including the need to consider the economic, environmental and social benefits of their procurement.
	In addition the Community Right to Challenge enables voluntary and community bodies including social enterprises to challenge a local authority to give them the opportunity to bid to run services, including proposals to deliver services differently.

Rented Housing: Fires

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of house fires in (a) Warrington and (b) the North-West were in rented properties in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many people (A) died and (B) had injuries which required hospital treatment as a result of such fires.

Brandon Lewis: Tenure of dwellings is not currently among the data reported by fire and rescue authorities in fire incident records. It is expected that this will be introduced in 2014.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not have direct responsibility for delivering major public services.
	It has a strategic role supporting local authorities, communities and neighbourhoods through policy frameworks established to deliver services locally. These frameworks are developed in line with our responsibilities under the Public Sector Duty of the Equality Act 2010.
	The Department also has guidance in place which sets out our responsibilities for the provision of 'reasonable adjustments' for staff with disabilities. This ensures that disabled staff are not treated less favourably than non disabled staff on the grounds of their disability.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG does not receive any financial or non-financial benefit from its prime telephony provider. DCLG does not receive a share of call revenue nor a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff. DCLG does not receive its telephony services for free or at a reduced rate from that provider.
	A number of DCLG's agencies and associated bodies operate telephone help or advice lines. These bodies attempt to keep call charges to a minimum and in most cases provide a national rate number or, on occasions, a free service. No profits are received from these lines.
	Each of the principle access numbers operated by the Department and its agencies (the Planning Inspectorate and the Homes and Communities Agency) are 030 numbers.
	030 numbers were specifically designed for not-for-profit organisations, charities and public sector bodies to offer consumers a single point of contact nationally. Calls cost no more than calls to geographic (01 and 02) numbers and are included in inclusive minutes and discount schemes in the same way.

Tesco

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on instances of Tesco plc receiving (a) local authority and (b) government grants in the last five years; and what information his Department holds on instances of Tesco plc receiving grants from the EU.

Brandon Lewis: No grant payments were made to Tesco Stores Ltd by the Department between April 2008 and May 2013. They are not eligible for European Regional Development funding because of state-aid rules.
	The Department did, however, make a grant of £4,000 to the company in 2007-08 in relation to the Quality Part-time Work Fund.
	DCLG does not hold information on grant payments by local authorities, other central Government Departments or the EU to private companies.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency hospital admissions there were, by age of patient, in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Count of finished admission episodes (FAEs)(1) where the method of admission was emergency(2) by age groups for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12(3) 
			 Age band 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 0-4 430,766 464,728 477,553 495,827 485,088 
			 5-9 112,496 113,326 117,646 122,080 118,972 
			 10-14 120,889 119,840 120,461 120,482 114,932 
			 15-19 187,163 187,337 188,899 187,491 176,135 
			 20-24 222,292 230,589 238,272 243,161 239,094 
			 25-29 219,548 228,577 235,535 235,968 231,818 
			 30-34 207,967 210,823 216,606 219,465 218,725 
			 35-39 231,680 233,939 235,109 228,562 215,808 
			 40-44 235,446 243,828 251,519 250,205 243,798 
			 45-49 223,139 238,190 252,599 259,746 258,246 
			 50-54 212,813 225,770 239,924 249,982 250,538 
			 55-59 232,197 239,224 245,293 246,640 244,597 
			 60-64 266,776 285,335 295,627 303,538 295,769 
			 65-69 269,994 283,027 296,195 303,973 312,854 
			 70-74 316,035 337,365 347,804 352,951 347,403 
			 75-79 368,162 388,630 398,423 402,759 400,773 
			 80-84 382,189 405,861 416,479 429,214 433,478 
			 85+ 507,879 560,390 591,550 620,897 639,377 
			 Age not known 5,937 13,891 12,393 14,091 15,434 
			 Total 4,753,368 5,010,670 5,177,887 5,287,032 5,242,839 
			 (1) A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) The count of admission episodes with an admission method indicating the admission was an emergency (admission method codes: 21 = Emergency: via Accident and Emergency (A&E) services, including the casualty department of the provider; 22 = Emergency: via General Practitioner (GP); 23 = Emergency: via Bed Bureau, including the Central Bureau; 24 = Emergency: via consultant out-patient clinic; 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another healthcare provider). (3) Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) for admitted patient care data for 2012-13 will be published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in November 2013 (provisional date). Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency have waited more than four hours before being treated at an accident and emergency facility in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the latest weekly data for the number of people seen in accident and emergency (A&E) within four hours at the University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which serve the Hall Green constituency:
	
		
			 Patients seen in A&E within four hours—week ending 26 May 2013 
			 Trust Percentage of patients seen with four hours 
			 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 99.6 
			 University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 93.8 
			 Note: The weekly A&E collection includes all A&E types, including minor injury units and walk-in centres.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an estimate of the cost of unnecessary accident and emergency attendances in Romford constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not centrally held. My hon. Friend may wish to contact local national health service organisations for information about accident and emergency attendances in his constituency.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged under 18 years were admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related condition in each year since 2005-06.

Anna Soubry: The following table contains the sum of the estimated alcohol-related admissions, using attributable fractions for those aged under 18 years old resident in England.
	It should be noted that these figures are not a count of people and represent an estimated number of admissions that were attributable to alcohol.
	Alcohol attributable fractions (AAFs) are based on the proportion of a given diagnosis or injury that is estimated to be attributed to alcohol. Some diagnoses or injuries will, by definition, be wholly attributable to alcohol and have an AAF of one, others will only be partly attributable to alcohol and have an AAF greater than zero, but less than one. Diagnoses or injuries that are not attributable at all to alcohol will have an AAF of zero.
	These figures are derived by summing all AAFs for the relevant admissions and should therefore only be interpreted as an estimate of the number of admissions that can be attributed to alcohol.
	
		
			 Sum of AAFs(1) for hospital admissions for people aged under 18 years and resident in England(2) from 2005-06 to 2011(3): Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Sum of AAFs 
			 2005-06 14,332.09 
			 2006-07 14,359.58 
			 2007-08 14,358.50 
			 2008-09 12,748.69 
			 2009-10 12,761.70 
			 2010-11 12,257.30 
			 2011-12 11,232,74 
			 (1) Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology has recently been updated and is now available directly from HES. As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data. Alcohol attributable fractions are not applicable to children under 16. Therefore figures for this age group relate only to wholly-attributable admissions, where the attributable fraction is one. (2) Strategic Health Authority/ Primary Care Trust (SHA/PCT) residence The strategic health authority (SHA) or primary care trust (PCT) containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. A change in methodology in 2011-12 resulted in an increase in the number of records where the PCT or SHA of residence was unknown. From 2006-07 to 2010-11 the current PCT and SHA of residence fields were populated from the recorded patient postcode. In order to improve data completeness, if the postcode was unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence were populated from the PCT/SHA value supplied by the provider. From April 2011-12 onwards if the patient postcode is unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence are listed as unknown. (3) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre

Ambulance Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of any change in the provision of emergency ambulance services by the (a) private and (b) third sector since May 2010.

Anna Soubry: No assessment has been made of any change in the provision of emergency ambulance services by the private and third sector since May 2010.
	Independent or voluntary ambulance services may be used to support NHS ambulance services and can help manage peaks in demand. It is the responsibility of individual ambulance services to ensure that 999 calls are attended by staff that are properly trained and adequately equipped.
	The use of private and voluntary ambulances is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and subject to rigorous checks by individual ambulance services. Commissioners will hold ambulance services to account to ensure that they continue to meet the quality and service requirements.

Autism

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department plans to issue to clinical commissioning groups on the commissioning of (a) diagnostic and (b) support services for people with autistic spectrum disorders.

Norman Lamb: It is the role of NHS England to provide guidance to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). However, a practical guide for CCGs to support health professionals implementing the Statutory guidance that followed the Adult Autism Strategy of 2010, and the guidelines on recognition, referral, diagnosis and management of adults on the autism spectrum by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2012, will be published later in the summer through the Joint Commissioning Panel (JCP) for Mental Health.
	The JCP is a coalition co-chaired by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and includes organisations that represent patients, carers, and health and social care professionals, with the aim of inspiring informed and collaborative commissioning. The Department and NHS England have supported the JCP in the production of this practical guide for CCGs.

Blood: Contamination

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of difficulties experienced by claimants in gaining financial support from the Macfarlane, Skipton and Caxton funds.

Anna Soubry: We are aware that some clients of the Macfarlane Trust and the Caxton Foundation have been unhappy with the standard of service that they have received. We have discussed this with the chair and chief executive of the Caxton Foundation, which employs the staff of both bodies, and they are committed to improving the standard of customer service.
	The Skipton Fund has a fixed set of eligibility criteria and claimants can provide a range of different information to support their claims. Claims are assessed on the balance of probabilities. The fund rejects some claims because of insufficient evidence. Anyone whose claim is rejected is able to apply to have their case re-assessed by the fund's independent appeals panel.

Blood: Contamination

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the Government has decided not to replicate the Irish scheme of compensation for people who contracted hepatitis and other blood diseases from contaminated NHS blood products.

Anna Soubry: In a written statement to the House on 14 October 2010, Official Report, columns 30-31WS, the then Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), stated that this Government had decided that the level of payments made to people affected by contaminated blood and blood products here in the United Kingdom, should not match those paid in the Republic of Ireland, because every country must make its own decisions on financial support for those affected, taking account of its own particular circumstances, and affordability.

Cancer: Drugs

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, columns 159-60W, on cancer: drugs, what assessment he has made of the policy statement on selective internal radiation therapy by the Clinical Reference Group chairs and the Specialised Services Portfolio Board; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has made no assessment of the draft policy statement on selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).
	On 14 May 2013 the Specialised Services Portfolio Board considered the draft policy statement on SIRT. As a result, the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group has now recommended a national clinical policy on SIRT for the treatment of liver tumours of all types to NHS England.
	The policy will support access to SIRT where there is good evidence that it is an effective treatment. NHS England has advised that the policy should be published in the next few weeks.

Continuing Care

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce the current delays in completing reviews for NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect details of NHS Continuing Healthcare cases awaiting review. NHS England and local clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the implementation NHS Continuing Healthcare policy.

Continuing Care

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibilities of (a) clinical commissioning groups and (b) local authorities are for the funding of long-term care; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have responsibility for commissioning the majority of health services, with the exception of certain services (such as primary care and specialised services) which are commissioned by NHS England.
	The commissioning of services for people with care needs is primarily through NHS Continuing Healthcare, local authority-funded social care, or a joint package of health and social care.
	NHS Continuing Healthcare is a package of ongoing care, arranged by CCGs, and funded solely by the national health service where the individual has been found to have a ‘primary health need’. Such care is provided to an individual aged 18 or over, to meet needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness. Eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare places no limits on the settings in which the package of support can be offered or on the type of service delivery. The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care sets out the principles and processes for determining eligibility.
	In addition, local authorities have responsibility for meeting the care needs of individuals they assess as eligible for support. Currently, local authorities have a duty to provide financial support to people in need of residential care where the person has less than £23,250 in capital. For domiciliary care, local authorities have discretion to provide financial support to people with higher levels of capital if they wish.
	We are reforming the existing system because it is unfair and exposes those with little or modest wealth to the greatest risk of losing everything to pay for their care. In 2016 our plans will put in place a cap on the costs people have to pay towards the cost of their care and extend means tested support to those with up to £118,000 in residential care. This will ensure that those with the greatest needs are protected from the risk of facing excessive care costs.
	The Care and Support Bill also contains a regulation making power to set a minimum threshold so that people across England will understand which needs are eligible. This is the minimum people can expect and local authorities will be able to be more generous.

Doctors: Working Hours

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the policy of the Italian Government towards the classification of medical doctors as executives for the purposes of the European Working Time Directive; and whether this policy could apply to doctors working in the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: The Department is not able to comment on how the working time directive (WTD) is implemented in other member states.
	This Government committed in the coalition agreement to limit the application of the WTD in the United Kingdom, including the national health service. The Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are working together on the application of the WTD to the UK health sector.
	As part of this commitment, the Department has previously explored whether the autonomous, workers exemption could be applied to junior doctors. However, the Department received legal advice that applying the definition of autonomous workers to junior doctors would not comply with the WTD and may risk infraction.

Fertility: North East

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) availability and (b) quality of fertility services in (i) Hartlepool and (ii) the north-east region; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: No assessment has been made of the availability and quality of fertility services in Hartlepool and the north-east region. The level of provision of health services, including fertility services, is a matter for clinical commissioning groups, taking into account the needs of the local population.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Mike Thornton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a formal agreement was signed between the now abolished South Central Strategic Health Authority and Southern Water to add fluoride to the water supply in (a) Southampton and (b) the South West Hampshire area.

Anna Soubry: No agreement was signed between South Central Strategic Health Authority, prior to its abolition, and Southern Water to add fluoride to the water supply in Southampton and the South West Hampshire area. The position, as at the end of March 2013, was that the strategic health authority was in discussions with Southern Water in relation to agreeing the terms of the agreement.
	By virtue of amendments made to the relevant legislation by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the statutory functions of strategic health authorities in relation to fluoridation have transferred to the Secretary of State.

General Practitioners

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the minimum practice income guarantee is for each GP practice.

Daniel Poulter: This information is not collected centrally in the format requested. Information on minimum practice income guarantee (MPIG) spend by former primary care trusts for 2011-12 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Summary of General Medical Services Financial Position 2011-12 Quarter 4 Audited Final 
			 Primary care trust (PCT) name MPIG correction factor(1) (£000) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 232 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 135 
			 Barnet PCT 1,046 
			 Barnsley PCT 18 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 94 
		
	
	
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT (PMS only) 0 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 1,030 
			 Berkshire East PCT 1,387 
			 Berkshire West PCT 1,869 
			 Bexley NHS Care Trust PCT 187 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 1,170 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Care Trust Plus 149 
			 Blackpool PCT 39 
			 Bolton PCT 305 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 274 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 345 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 1,401 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 1,048 
			 Bristol PCT 193 
			 Bromley PCT 225 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 2,579 
			 Bury PCT 250 
			 Calderdale PCT 440 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 3,581 
			 Camden PCT 578 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 542 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 536 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 3,060 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly Pct 1,269 
			 County Durham PCT 726 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 290 
			 Croydon PCT 406 
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 1,917 
			 Darlington PCT (PMS Only), 0 
			 Derby City PCT 1,817 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 907 
			 Devon PCT 521 
			 Doncaster PCT 310 
			 Dorset PCT 519 
			 Dudley PCT 568 
			 Ealing PCT 2,069 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 814 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 995 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 977 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 935 
			 Enfield PCT 333 
			 Gateshead PCT 296 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 3,419 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 131 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 75 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 98 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 569 
			 Hampshire PCT 5,196 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 571 
			 Harrow PCT 335 
			 Hartlepool PCT 3 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 198 
		
	
	
		
			 Havering PCT 339 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 601 
			 Herefordshire PCT 548 
			 Hertfordshire PCT 2,431 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 117 
			 Hillingdon PCT 489 
			 Hounslow PCT 753 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 908 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 193 
			 Islington PCT 1,388 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 797 
			 Kingston PCT 419 
			 Kirklees PCT 452 
			 Knowsley PCT 110 
			 Lambeth PCT 130 
			 Leeds PCT 1,057 
			 Leicester City PCT 1,025 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 2,462 
			 Lewisham PCT 106 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 278 
			 Liverpool PCT 277 
			 Luton Teaching PCT 517 
			 Manchester PCT 759 
			 Medway PCT 1,249 
			 Mid Essex PCT 1,580 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 173 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 608 
			 Newcastle PCT 434 
			 Newham PCT 866 
			 Norfolk PCT 1,800 
			 North East Essex PCT 1,465 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus PCT 26 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 578 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 101 
			 North Somerset PCT 48 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 424 
			 North Tyneside PCT 213 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 3,800 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 1,336 
			 Northumberland Care PCT 210 
			 Nottingham City PCT . 1,313 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 1,217 
			 Oldham PCT 559 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 3,460 
			 Peterborough PCT 226 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 382 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 514 
			 Redbridge PCT 480 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 45 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 479 
			 Rotherham PCT 277 
			 Salford PCT 132 
			 Sandwell PCT 0 
			 Sefton PCT 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Sheffield PCT 1,111 
			 Shropshire County PCT 757 
			 Solihull PCT 298 
			 Somerset PCT 967 
			 South Birmingham PCT 1,072 
			 South East Essex PCT 129 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 12 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 1,141 
			 South Tyneside PCT 18 
			 South West Essex PCT 818 
			 Southampton City PCT 1,009 
			 Southwark PCT 282 
			 Stockport PCT 492 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT 561 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 376 
			 Suffolk PCT 1,055 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 94 
			 Surrey PCT 2,260 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 19 
			 Swindon PCT 328 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 367 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 459 
			 Torbay Care PCT 165 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 1,826 
			 Trafford PCT 296 
			 Wakefield District PCT 178 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 424 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 302 
			 Wandsworth PCT 827 
			 Warrington PCT 50 
			 Warwickshire PCT 821 
			 West Essex PCT 996 
			 West Kent PCT 2,737 
			 West Sussex PCT 1,935 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 1,012 
			 Westminster PCT 984 
			 Wiltshire PCT 397 
			 Wirral PCT 13 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 387 
			 Worcestershire PCT 1,546 
			   
			 England total audited final 117,651 
			 (1 )March 2012 year to date.

General Practitioners: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions GP out-of-hours services in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency had fewer than the contracted number of GPs available in each month of (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to date.

Anna Soubry: The data requested are not collected centrally. It is for out of hours providers to determine the appropriate level of staffing for their services, based on local circumstances, including determining the level of general practitioner (GP) cover according to the availability of other urgent care services in the area.
	Providers must ensure that their staffing levels enable them to meet the national quality requirements for out of hours services, while clinical commissioning groups are responsible for ensuring local out of hours services are high quality, safe and effective in accordance with these requirements.
	The national quality requirements stipulate that:
	patients will be guaranteed a GP consultation—including a home visit if there is a
	clinical need;
	patients are treated by the clinician best equipped to meet their needs in the most appropriate location; and
	services will be regularly audited to ensure that patients are receiving quality care.

General Practitioners: Cancer

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which body is responsible for ensuring that GPs and GPs with a special interest accreditation who diagnose, manage and excise low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community are overseen and measured by a process of cancer peer review.

Daniel Poulter: The current framework for the accreditation and re-accreditation of general practitioners with a special interest remains under review following the transition to the new arrangements for NHS services in England. Within NHS England this work is being led by Dr Mike Bewick, one of NHS England's two Deputy National Medical Directors. Decisions on future arrangements will be confirmed in due course.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England use (i) 0844 and (ii) 0845 numbers.

Daniel Poulter: The requested information is not held centrally.
	The Regulations that underpin all general practitioner (GP) contracts contain a term to ensure that persons will not pay more to make relevant calls to their GP practice than they would to make equivalent calls to a geographical number.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of GPs have worked out of hours in each year since 1992.

Anna Soubry: This information is not held centrally.

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many job descriptions for directors of public health to be appointed by health and well-being boards his Department has approved to date; and how many such appointees are currently in post.

Anna Soubry: On 1 April 2013 there were 104 director of public health posts covering 114 local authorities which had been filled by former primary care trust directors of public health who transferred to local authorities as part of the transition process, and accepted the new position with the agreement of the Department and the relevant local authorities. In all other local authorities without a permanent director of public health, interim arrangements have been in place since 1 April 2013.
	The new director of public health appointment arrangements will apply to those recruited to posts after 1 April 2013.
	Since 1 April 2013, Public Health England has approved three job descriptions for director of public health roles following the introduction of the new appointment procedures.

Health Education: Young People

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to ensure that Public Health England works with health and well-being boards to promote health awareness in young people; and what steps he is taking to monitor progress in this area.

Anna Soubry: Public Health England (PHE) has set out in “Our priorities for 2013-14” (April 2013) the importance of health and wellbeing boards in bringing together key local partners to agree local priorities. For 2013-14 PHE has set five high-level priorities, one of which is specifically addressing our commitment to “Supporting families to give children and young people the best start in life”.
	Through PHE Centres, PHE will support local authorities by providing evidence and knowledge, as well as professional advice on what to do to improve health. As part of this, PHE will consider how health awareness in young people can be improved through national campaigns and making available resources and tools for agencies to use locally. PHE is committed to engaging with children, young people and carers to inform the work it does, and how it does it.

Health Professions: HIV Infection

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to respond to the consultation on the management of HIV-infected healthcare workers.

Anna Soubry: The Department expects to publish a response before the summer recess.

Health Services: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the future of (a) North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust.

Daniel Poulter: A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database for correspondence received since 1 December 2012 has identified three items of correspondence about the future of St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and none about the future of Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (formerly the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust). These are minimum figures which represent correspondence received by the Department's ministerial correspondence unit only.
	On 26 February 2013 Official Report, column 163, during Health oral questions, my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (David Mowat), spoke about the private finance initiative scheme at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and sought assurance that the Trust would not be required to merge with the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The hon. Member for Warrington North sought similar assurance at the same Health orals session.

Health Services: Prisons

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) alcohol treatment, (b) drug treatment, (c) mental health services and (d) psychology in each prison in England and Wales in each year since 2007.

Norman Lamb: Data are not collected centrally on spending on alcohol treatment, other specific drug treatments, mental health or psychological therapies in individual prisons. Data are collected on total health care spending in each prison, which includes spending on alcohol treatment, drug treatment, mental health and psychological therapies. The amount spent on these treatments as a proportion of total spending is not discernible from the data.
	Data on total health care spending for each prison in England between 2007-08 and 2012-13 have been placed in the Library.
	Data in respect of Welsh prisons, are collected by the Welsh Government.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints he has received in each of the last three years from UK citizens whose European Health Insurance cards have not been accepted by clinics in the EU.

Anna Soubry: The Department has received a number of complaints over the past three years relating to individuals who have been forced to use private health insurance rather than a valid European Health Insurance Card in some European economic area countries, particularly Spain.
	As a result, the Department has raised this issue directly with the Spanish Government and the European Commission. The Department does not record the total number of complaints received.

Health Services: Retirement

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on remuneration in the case of the early retirement of (a) clinical staff and (b) all categories of non-clinical staff in the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: Most staff working in the national health service are entitled to contribute to the NHS Pension Scheme (NHSPS), which is governed by NHS Pension Scheme regulations. The Scheme's early retirement terms apply where members draw their pension before their Normal Pension Age (NPA) and are the same for clinical and non-clinical staff.
	The NHSPS currently has two Sections, the 1995 Section, which generally has an NPA of 50, and the 2008 section, with an NPA of 65. The earliest age at which a member of the NHS pension Scheme can draw their pension is their Minimum Pension Age (MPA), which varies depending on the Section of the Scheme they are a member of, and when they started pensionable employment.
	Members can choose to take voluntary early retirement, or may be retired prematurely because of redundancy or in the interests of the efficiency of the service. Both circumstances are outlined as follows.
	1. Voluntary Early Retirement
	1995 Section:
	Members, who joined the 1995 Section before 6 April 2006 can choose to take voluntary early retirement from 50 or 55 if they joined the Scheme on or after 6 April 2006. Under these circumstances they will receive reduced benefits.
	Table A shows how much a members pension and lump sum would be reduced by if they choose to retire early:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Age 
			  59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 
			 Pension 6 11 16 20 24 28 31 35 38 40 
			 Lump Sum 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 24 27 29 
		
	
	2008 Section:
	Members in the 2008 Section can choose to take voluntary early retirement from age 55, and also receive reduced benefits.
	Table B shows how much a member's pension would be reduced by if they choose to retire early (please note, there is no compulsory lump sum in the 2008 Section):
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Age 
			  64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 
			 Pension 6 12 17 22 26 31 34 38 41 44 
		
	
	2. Premature Retirement
	Where members of either Section are retired prematurely because of redundancy or in the interests of the efficiency of the service their benefits may be paid immediately. These terms are set out in Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook and summarised as follows.
	Members retiring in the interests of the efficiency of the service have their benefits paid without reduction by their employer, and the employer is required to meet the cost of paying the pension early. Members must have at least two years membership and have reached their MPA.
	Staff made redundant who are over the MPA may choose either to take their redundancy payment and have their pension paid at the normal retirement age, or to take their benefits immediately, without reduction. Where a member chooses to take their pension immediately, the employer will use their redundancy payment to meet any additional costs that arise and pay the balance (if any) to the member. Where the redundancy payment is not enough to meet the costs, the employer will 'top up' the remainder.

Health: Research

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the amount of funding his Department has given to research on (a) mental and (b) physical health in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what research into mental health his Department is currently undertaking or funding.

Daniel Poulter: Spend on research funded directly by the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) from 2008-09 to 2011-12 in mental health and other Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories is shown in the table. These figures do not take account of NIHR expenditure on research infrastructure and systems where spend cannot be attributed to health categories.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Health category 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Blood 4,695,335 4,932,505 6,602,922 8,609,175 
			 Cancer 69,312,070 101,547,267 100,901,252 104,103,633 
			 Cardiovascular 17,403,826 31,608,564 30,991,469 34,117,061 
			 Congenital disorders 6,965,008 6,335,044 4,352,476 4,252,761 
			 Ear 1,032,702 1,889,535 1,780,089 2,426,689 
			 Eye 5,311,536 7,145,189 7,139,225 7,851,304 
			 Generic health relevance 59,125,710 116,792,934 144,696,774 155,436,178 
			 Infection 11,400,941 15,887,948 21,079,768 20,883,877 
			 Inflammatory and immune system 7,164,577 10,898,927 13,083,522 13,036,068 
			 Injuries and accidents 1,907,403 3,786,508 4,192,377 5,446,326 
			 Mental health 27,937,224 40,279,211 49,848,487 53,217,726 
			 Metabolic and endocrine 18,403,203 29,252,387 25,683,345 26,627,825 
			 Musculoskeletal 9,804,966 15,517,638 15,639,508 17,571,806 
			 N/A 392,748 2,764,265 7,845,355 455,682 
			 Neurological 24,176,292 29,694,449 29,915,858 32,470,138 
			 Oral and gastrointestinal 7,638,166 16,829,659 18,368,344 20,538,836 
			 Other 2,939,921 4,231,884 2,040,003 2,745,076 
			 Renal and urogenital 3,969,569 8,883,308 8,744,089 10,154,953 
			 Reproductive health and childbirth 9,450,678 19,062,406 18,942,012 22,152,169 
			 Respiratory 7,484,195 15,705,816 18,192,188 20,234,850 
			 Skin 3,030,622 5,000,789 4,682,027 5,459,494 
			 Stroke 12,969,499 20,202,173 20,877,869 20,420,144 
		
	
	Figures for 2012-13 are not yet available.
	In addition, the Department commissions research through the Policy Research Programme (PRP). The PRP funds research to .inform policy development and implementation across the full range of the Department's responsibilities, and data on PRP spend by HRCS health categories is not routinely collected.
	The NIHR and PRP fund a wide range of research relating to mental health.
	Details of research carried out by the NIHR Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre can be found on the centre's website at:
	http://brc.slam.nhs.uk/our-research
	The NIHR Clinical Research Network is currently hosting 285 studies in mental health that are in set-up or recruiting patients. Details of these studies can be found on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio database at:
	http://england.ukcrn.org.uk/Portfolio.aspx?Level1=5
	Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) can be found on the CCF website at:
	www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/FundedProgrammes.aspx
	Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Centre (NETSCC) can be found on the NETSCC website at:
	www.netscc.ac.uk/
	Details of research awards managed by the NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (TCC) can be found on the TCC website at:
	www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk/
	Details of research funded by the PRP are available on the Department's website at:
	http://prp.dh.gov.uk/category/funded-research/

Heart Diseases: Children

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish for each of the last five years (a) mortality rates and (b) risk-adjusted PRAiS data on mortality rates for children's heart surgery units in England, broken down by the number of paediatric surgical procedures on the following basis: (i) less than 150, (ii) 151 to 250, (iii) 251 to 350, (iv) 351 to 450, (v) 451 to 550 and (vi) 551 and over.

Anna Soubry: The data are not available in the format requested. However, the National Institute for Cardiothoracic Outcomes Research (NICOR) has published an analysis of outcome data for the 10 paediatric cardiac surgical units in England using the new model for monitoring surgical outcomes called ‘Partial Risk Adjustment in Surgery’ (PRAiS).
	NICOR's PRAiS analysis only covers the three years 2009-10 to 2011-12, therefore it is not possible to provide the analysis over five years as requested.
	The absolute mortality figures are available from the NICOR website and the PRAiS analysis from the NHS England website:
	https://nicor4.nicor.org.uk/CHD/an_paeds.nsf/WSummary Years?openview&RestrictToCategory=2011&start =1&count=500
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/finl-rep-mort-paed-card-surg-2009-12.pdf

Heart Diseases: Drugs

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) considered in respect of the link and possible side effects with the use of statins and (i) memory loss, (ii) muscle aches and pains and (iii) itching; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Statins are important and widely used medicines in patients with lipid disorders and in the prevention of heart attack and stroke. Evidence from large clinical trials shows that, overall, statins can reduce heart attacks and the need for bypass surgery, and can save lives in certain patient groups.
	As with ail medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) keeps the safety of statins under continuous review and promptly evaluates any new evidence, including published research and reports of side effects encountered in routine clinical practice, which may have implications for the safe use of statins.
	Clinical trials have shown that statins are generally well tolerated by most people who use them. A European-wide review of statins in 2007 highlighted that prescribers and patients alike should be aware of the potential for some side effects which can, in rare cases, prove serious.
	Muscle aches and pains in association with statin treatment are common and generally not serious, but in rare instances, ‘rhabdomyolysis’ or muscle breakdown has been reported.
	In light of this patients should report inexplicable muscle pain, weakness or cramps to their general practitioner (GP) immediately, especially if associated with fever.
	The review identified an increased risk of memory loss associated with statin therapy, mainly arising from individual safety reports submitted following licensing. Patients who develop problems with their memory during treatment should continue taking their statin and should seek advice from their GP.
	Itching can occur alone or in association with skin reactions while taking statins. Such reactions are generally mild and well-tolerated. Itching can occasionally be a symptom of liver dysfunction, and all patients commencing statin treatment should undergo liver function monitoring before, and three months after, initiation of treatment. All of the side effects described are included in the Product Information for statins, and the outcome of the European review was communicated to health care professionals in the regular MHRA bulletin Drug Safety Update.
	The Department has not commissioned any research on these specific side effects.
	Overall, the benefit of statins in reducing cardiovascular disease in at-risk patients strongly exceeds the risks. Patients should consult their GP if they have questions or concerns about their statin treatment.

Hospitals: Trafford

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make public the advice he has received from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in relation to reconfiguration of hospital services in Trafford; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is currently considering the initial advice from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel concerning a new health deal for Trafford, and will make his decision in due course.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13.

Anna Soubry: The information is shown in the following table. Information on the percentage of patients who started treatment within 18 weeks is also shown.
	
		
			 Referral to treatment (RTT): Number of patients that waited more than 18 weeks to start treatment during the month 
			  Admitted treatment (admitted adjusted RTT pathways) Non-admitted treatment (non-admitted RTT pathways 
			  Coventry Teaching primary care trust West Midlands strategic health authority England Coventry Teaching primary care trust West Midlands strategic health authority England 
			 2011       
			 April 165 2,528 25,189 130 2,006 18,647 
			 May 185 2,754 27,753 118 2,325 20,145 
			 June 191 3,178 31,656 204 2,635 22,923 
			 July 201 2,907 28,500 169 2,378 22,001 
			 August 194 2,897 28,964 185 2,841 23,787 
			 September 186 3,003 28,930 171 2,789 25,146 
			 October 146 2,887 26,960 135 2,717 25,051 
			 November 156 3,215 29,217 161 3,003 27,822 
			 December 148 2,809 23,002 101 2,108 21,338 
			        
			 2012       
			 January 148 2,941 26,313 136 2,629 25,565 
			 February 172 3,097 26,441 149 2,506 24,214 
			 March 174 3,213 29,007 128 2,273 22,680 
			 April 114 2,125 21,690 95 1,869 18,183 
			 May 121 2,470 23,883 108 2,005 19,730 
			 June 110 2,254 21,840 91 1,836 17,319 
			 July 100 2,389 23,073 89 2,493 21,442 
			 August 90 2,192 21,764 71 2,175 20,470 
			 September 88 2,323 22,746 96 2,444 22,003 
			 October 110 2,434 24,735 118 2,295 25,157 
			 November 107 2,466 23,869 86 2,187 23,401 
			 December 86 1,822 17,778 80 1,720 17,582 
			        
			 2013       
			 January 116 2,233 23,577 90 1,883 23,566 
			 February 107 2,605 23,235 62 1,744 21,397 
			 March 100 2,582 23,472 84 1,735 20,725 
			 Note: Data is collected monthly. Admitted patients are those who started treatment requiring an admission to hospital during the month. Non-admitted patients are those who started treatment that did not require admission in the month. Source: Unify2 Referral to Treatment Waiting times return. www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/rtt-waiting-times/ 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage of patients that started treatment within 18 weeks during the month 
			 Percentage 
			  Admitted treatment (admitted adjusted RTT pathways) Non-admitted treatment (non-admitted RTT pathways) 
			  Coventry Teaching primary care trust West Midlands strategic health authority England Coventry Teaching primary care trust West Midlands strategic health authority England 
			 2011       
			 April 91.3 91.2 90.4 97.5 97.3 97.5 
			 May 91.1 91.3 90.7 97.8 97.4 97.7 
			 June 91.2 90.7 90.1 96.5 97.1 97.6 
			 July 90.7 90.9 90.6 96.8 97.2 97.4 
			 August 91.1 90.7 90.4 96.3 96.7 97.3 
			 September 91.8 90.7 90.7 96.6 96.9 97.2 
			 October 93.2 90.8 91.2 97.1 96.8 97.2 
			 November 93.1 90.6 91.0 97.0 96.8 97.0 
			 December 92.2 90.4 91.4 97.7 97.2 97.2 
			        
			 2012       
			 January 93.2 90.8 91.3 97.4 96.9 97.1 
			 February 92.5 90.3 91.2 97.2 97.0 97.1 
			 March 93.0 90.8 91.1 97.7 97.4 97.4 
			 April 94.6 92.6 91.9 98.1 97.6 97.7 
			 May 95.1 92.8 92.6 98.2 97.9 97.9 
			 June 94.9 92.2 92.1 98.1 97.6 97.8 
			 July 95.8 92.7 92.7 98.5 97.3 97.7 
			 August 96.2 92.9 92.7 98.7 97.5 97.7 
			 September 95.9 92.2 92.2 98.4 97.2 97.4 
		
	
	
		
			 October 95.5 92.9 92.7 98.3 97.7 97.5 
			 November 95.4 92.7 92.7 98.7 97.7 97.5 
			 December 95.4 93.3 93.1 98.3 97.7 97.7 
			        
			 2013       
			 January 94.7 92.9 92.6 98.5 98.0 97.5 
			 February 94.7 91.5 92.2 98.9 97.9 97.5 
			 March 94.6 91.4 92.1 98.5 97.9 97.6 
			 Note: Data is collected monthly. Admitted patients are those who started treatment requiring an admission to hospital during the month. Non-admitted patients are those who started treatment that did not require admission in the month. Source: Unify2 Referral to Treatment Waiting times return. www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/rtt-waiting-times/

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what role the NHS Contribution to Public Health Senior Oversight Group plays with respect to Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendations;
	(2)  what role the NHS Contribution to Public Health Executive Group plays in relation to Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommendations;
	(3)  which organisation is responsible for taking forward recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation;
	(4)  what roles his Department, NHS England and Public Health England play with regard to the delivery and implementation of vaccination and immunisation policy.

Anna Soubry: The roles of the Department, NHS England and Public Health England for national immunisation programmes, including in relation to recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), are described in a letter entitled “National screening and immunisation programmes”, which the Department published on 23 August 2012. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.
	The National Health Service Public Health Senior Oversight Group forms part of the arrangements for oversight of the agreement made between the Secretary of State for Health and NHS England, under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006 (a section 7A agreement), about public health functions which NHS England exercises, including the delivery of national immunisation programmes. The NHS Public Health Steering Group (formerly Executive Group) advises and reports to the Senior Oversight Group. Both groups play a role in relation to forward planning and the implementation of Ministerial decisions on JCVI recommendations. A copy of the section 7A agreement for 2013-14 has been placed in the Library.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the draft minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on 6 February 2013, on what date the annual review of a potential revision to the Section 7a agreement between his Department and NHS England will take place; and what steps he will take to ensure that potential introduction of the meningococcal B vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule would not be delayed by the annual review of the Section 7a agreement.

Anna Soubry: The agreement made under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006 between the Secretary of State and NHS England, is currently an annual agreement made alongside the Mandate to NHS England. The agreement for the financial year 2014-15 is expected to be concluded in October 2013, including the delivery of national immunisation programmes. This agreement will be kept under review.
	Any decision on the timely introduction of a meningococcal B vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule will be subject to the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 7 of the draft minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on 6 February 2013, on what date the JCVI will make public the report from the working group on uncertainty in vaccine evaluation.

Anna Soubry: The report of the Working Group on Uncertainty in Vaccine Evaluation and Procurement is planned to be published as an annex to the revised code of practice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The revised code is being finalised and is expected to be published later this year.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will outline (a) the process that will follow a positive JCVI recommendation for a new vaccination and (b) who has overall responsibility for taking forward and implementing a positive JCVI recommendation following the coming into force of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Anna Soubry: When making a recommendation for a new vaccination programme, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) usually produces a statement explaining its conclusions, the basis for them and the evidence reviewed. The statement with the recommendations will be provided to Ministers for consideration.
	Following ministerial consideration of the statement, the JCVI statement will be published and Ministers may issue a response to the JCVI statement and recommendations. Subject to Ministers' considerations, the Department, Public Health England and NHS England will collaborate to plan and implement the immunisation programme in question. This process will include discussions with the devolved Administrations and issues such as setting policy for the new programme based on JCVI's advice; securing resources for the programme; procuring, storing and distributing the vaccine; negotiating with providers of immunisation services; determining mechanisms for surveillance of vaccine uptake; providing guidance to health care professionals; and conducting marketing campaigns for the public to provide information and advice.
	A new national immunisation programme will usually be included in the agreement made between the Secretary of State and NHS England, under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006 (a section 7A agreement), about public health functions which NHS England exercises, including the delivery of national immunisation programmes.
	The roles of the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England for national immunisation programmes, including in relation to recommendations from the JCVI, are described in a letter entitled ‘National screening and immunisation programmes’, which the Department of Health published on 23 August 2012 and has been placed in the Library.

Meat Products: Labelling

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Food Standards Agency will prosecute supermarkets and other food retailers following the recent mislabelling and mis-selling of meat products.

Anna Soubry: Prosecutions for the mislabelling of meat products fall within the remit of local authority (LA) environmental health or trading standards departments.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are involved in a complicated and far-reaching investigation into horsemeat. At this stage, it cannot be confirmed if prosecutions will result from this ongoing action. The FSA will be in contact with those LAs known to be involved in investigation work to find out what further steps they will take on the evidence gathered.

Medical Treatments Abroad: Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many English patients were sent abroad for proton beam therapy between 31 March 2012 and 1 April 2013; and to which country each such patient was sent.

Anna Soubry: 89 patients (17 adults and 72 children) from England were approved for referral for proton beam therapy overseas during the period 31 March 2012 and 1 April 2013. All of these patients were approved for referral to centres in the United States.

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency; how much is paid each year under that contract; how many individual services are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and (a) when and (b) how the contract will next be renewed.

Norman Lamb: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has a mobile telephony contract with a single supplier, Vodaphone.
	The value of this contract is £53,000 (excluding VAT) per annum including rental and call charges.
	This contract covers:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Mobiles 79 
			 BlackBerrys 207 
			 Mobile Dongles: SIMS 104 
		
	
	The contract was awarded in 14 May 2011 under a 2+2 contract agreement that runs for two years plus an option of a further two years. The mobile telephony services contract will be renewed in January 2014 following government procurement guidelines.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the meningococcal B vaccinations programme is on the agenda for the meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation scheduled for 12 June 2013;
	(2)  what the timetable is for recruiting a new committee chair for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the recruitment process will not delay a decision on introducing the meningococcal B vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule.

Anna Soubry: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will consider at its meeting on 12 June 2013 the conclusions of the JCVI meningococcal sub-committee following the sub-committee's review of evidence on the impact and cost effectiveness of potential meningococcal B immunisation strategies.
	The indicative timetable for recruiting a new JCVI chair following an advertisement on the Department's website on 30 May 2013 and in The Lancet on 1 June 2013 is as follows:
	Closing date: Midday on 27 June 2013
	Shortlisting complete: early July
	Interviews held: mid July
	This information is available on the Department's website in the information pack for applicants wishing to apply for the post. A copy of the information pack has been placed in the Library.
	The recruitment process will not delay the committee's consideration of meningococcal B immunisation. The committee has agreed an acting chair from its existing membership.

Mental Illness: Cannabis

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of mental or behavioural disorder due to use of cannabinoids in each year since 2005-06.

Anna Soubry: Data on the number of hospital admissions is collected by finished admission episodes rather than by number of people. Data on the number of finished admission episodes to hospital with a primary diagnosis of mental or behavioural disorder due to the use of cannabinoids for each year since 2005-06 is given in the following table. It is important to note that finished admission episodes do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year
	
		
			 Finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental or behavioural issues due to use of cannabinoids, 2005-06 to 2011-12 
			  Total admission episodes 
			 2005-06 946 
			 2006-07 750 
			 2007-08 735 
			 2008-09 651 
			 2009-10 713 
			 2010-11 799 
			 2011-12 1,003 
			 Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant; within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. 2. Primary diagnosis: The, primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. 3. Data quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent, by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 4. Activity included: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Midwives: Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were unemployed in each of the last 10 years.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does hot have this information, it is not collected centrally.

NHS 111

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the newly launched 111 service in easing strains on accident and emergency departments in (a) England, (b) the west midlands, (c) Dudley metropolitan borough and (d) Dudley North constituency;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of patients who are directed to accident and emergency departments by the newly launched 111 service in (a) England, (b) the west midlands, (c) Dudley metropolitan borough and (d) Dudley North constituency;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the newly launched 111 service does not increase the number of unnecessary referrals to accident and emergency departments.

Anna Soubry: NHS England is responsible for the performance of NHS 111, and will be working with area teams and commissioners to understand the impact of NHS 111 on the rest of the urgent and emergency care system.
	The NHS 111 Minimum Dataset, which will report this data for the west midlands and England, is due to be published on 7 June under the National Statistical Guidelines.
	Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has implemented a range of schemes to reduce pressures on accident and emergency (A&E) at Russells Hall, in partnership with Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Dudley metropolitan borough council (DMBC) and Primecare, the provider of walk-in centre and out of hours GP services. These schemes include:
	extended weekend and evening opening hours at Dudley Walk-in Centre;
	the commissioning of an Acute Medicine Unit Rapid Assessment Team which triages likely medical admissions within 30 minutes of arrival at Russells Hall A&E;
	a first responder service in place with DMBC to reduce 999 calls and conveyances for vulnerable people; and
	increased intermediate care capacity through increased beds numbers.
	The local NHS in Dudley has established a project board to implement recommendations made by the NHS Emergency Care Intensive Support. Team. A multi-agency group has also been set up to monitor performance and develop the local urgent care model to address continuing pressures and lead the development of a local recovery and improvement plan, as required by NHS England.

NHS 111

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being made to improve the quality of service offered by the 111 line.

Anna Soubry: We recognise that the service has not been good enough and we are working closely with NHS England to ensure improvement in performance.
	NHS England has put a number of measures in place already; NHS England Area Teams have been keeping a close oversight of the issues and are supporting local clinical commissioning groups and individual providers to ensure the service improves.
	In addition, NHS England has close monitoring arrangements, including where necessary daily monitoring, and also reports weekly on performance to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt). They will continue to do so until the key performance indicators are routinely met.
	It is for clinical commissioning groups, with their local clinicians, and supported by NHS England, to continue to work with all parts of their urgent care system to improve responsiveness and quality of the services locally. We expect to see continued improved performance week on week into the summer.

NHS 111

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payment has been received by his Department for paid-for mobile telephone calls to the NHS Direct 111 telephone number since the inception of that service.

Anna Soubry: No payment has been received by the Department for paid-for mobile telephone calls to the NHS 111 telephone number since the inception of the service.
	NHS 111 is free to the caller from landlines, mobiles and payphones. The cost of this is picked up by NHS England.

NHS 111

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations are responsible for the NHS 111 service in each part of England.

Anna Soubry: NHS 111 services are locally commissioned by clinical commissioning groups; the service is being delivered by a range of different providers, including NHS Direct, ambulance trusts and a number of out-of-hours providers.
	The following table shows the full list of providers.
	
		
			 NHS 111 area Contracted provider 
			 NE—North of Tyne and Tees North East Ambulance Service 
			 NE—South of Tyne and Wear North East Ambulance Service 
			 NE—County Durham and Darlington North East Ambulance Service 
			 NW—Merseyside NHS Direct 
			 NW—Manchester NHS Direct 
			 NW—Lancashire and Cumbria NHS Direct 
			 Yorkshire and Humber Yorkshire Ambulance Service 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney South East Health 
			 Norfolk East of England Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Hertfordshire Herts Urgent Care 
			 Suffolk Harmoni 
			 North Essex NHS Direct 
			 South Essex South East Health 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton NHS Direct 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Not yet covered 
			 Derbyshire Derbyshire Health United 
			 Lincolnshire Harmoni 
			 Nottinghamshire Derbyshire Health United 
		
	
	
		
			 Northamptonshire Derbyshire Health United 
			 Milton Keynes Harmoni 
			 Leicestershire Not yet covered 
			 West Midlands NHS Direct 
			 Croydon . Harmoni 
			 Outer North West London Harmoni 
			 Hillingdon Harmoni 
			 Wandsworth Harmoni 
			 Richmond and Kingston Harmoni 
			 Inner North West London London Central and West Unscheduled Care Collaborative 
			 North Central London London Central and West Unscheduled Care Collaborative 
			 South East London NHS Direct 
			 Sutton and Merton NHS Direct 
			 East London and City NHS Direct 
			 Outer North East London Partnership of East London Co-operatives 
			 Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire Harmoni 
			 Gloucestershire and Swindon Harmoni 
			 Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Harmoni 
			 Somerset NHS Direct 
			 Cornwall NHS Direct 
			 Devon South West Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Kent Surrey and Sussex South East Coast Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Berkshire South Central Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Buckinghamshire NHS Direct 
			 Oxfordshire South Central Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Dorset South West Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth South Central Ambulance Service Trust 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Ambulance Service Trust

NHS 111

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the criteria required of each provider of NHS 111 under their contract.

Anna Soubry: NHS 111 has been entirely locally commissioned, so specific criteria have been set by local clinical commissioning groups. However, the Department has worked with the NHS to agree the NHS 111 National Service Specification (NSS) that applies to the NHS 111 service across all areas.
	The NSS is based around four key principles:
	Completion of a clinical assessment on the first call without the need for a call back;
	Ability to refer callers to other providers without the caller being re-triaged;
	Ability to transfer clinical assessment data to other providers and book appointments where appropriate; and
	Ability to dispatch an ambulance without delay.
	The “NHS 111 National Service Specification” ensures that the public experience the same high quality of service, wherever they are. A copy has been placed in the Library.

NHS Walk-in Centres

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of walk-in centres that have closed in each English region since May 2010.

Anna Soubry: No information on walk-in centre closures is held centrally.
	Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning walk in centres locally based on an assessment of local need.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are employed by his Department to investigate whistleblowing cases in the NHS;
	(2)  what process his Department initiates when it is made aware of a whistleblowing case in the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: Staff working in the Department are not directly employed to investigate whistleblowing cases in the national health service. All whistleblowing cases received by the Department are logged and reviewed by officials, whose role is to then ensure that concerns raised are referred on to an appropriate organisation with statutory or lead responsibility for the issue being referred.
	The Department has a team responsible for overarching policy on whistleblowing in the NHS.

NHS: Pensions

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on allowing (a) clinical and (b) non-clinical staff to buy additional years for their pensions.

Daniel Poulter: The facility for NHS Pension Scheme members to purchase additional years was withdrawn from 1 April 2008 following a review of the scheme. Transitional arrangements permitted applications received before this date for contracts starting on a member's birthday that falls in the 2008-09 scheme year.
	Additionally, members who had a refund for any membership before 6 April 1978, or had general practitioner membership at any time, may be able to purchase additional service equal to that refunded period if an application is made when re-joining the scheme following a break in service.
	Added years were replaced from 2008 with the facility to buy additional pension. Members can currently purchase up to £5,000 per annum of additional pension.
	NHS Pensions have produced a factsheet on added years which can be found at the following link:
	www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Pensions/Documents/Pensions/Added_Years_factsheet_1995_all_members.pdf

NHS: Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to promote a social enterprise in delivering services within the NHS.

Norman Lamb: The Department is committed to enabling all types of provider to deliver national health service-funded services. This includes public, not-for-profit and for-profit providers, including social enterprises. The Department sees a particularly important role for social enterprises, charities, and voluntary sector organisations in delivering innovative, tailored and personalised services. Provisions in the 2012 Health and Social Care Act prevent the Department, Monitor, and NHS England from giving preferential treatment to any provider type.
	The Department's Right to Request and Right to Provide initiatives have enabled staff in organisations across health and social care to set up staff-led social enterprises that have spun out of the NHS or a local authority. This has resulted in contracts worth nearly £1 billion being delivered by social enterprises, which translates to around 11% of the NHS community services budget.
	The Department's Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) has invested more than £110 million in nearly 600 social enterprises across health and social care. The SEIF was set up in 2007 to stimulate the role of social enterprise in health and social care. It provided investment to help new social enterprises start up and existing social enterprises grow and improve their services.

Nurses

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what comparative assessment he has made of the nurse to patient ratio in (a) the UK, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) the US and (f) Australia.

Daniel Poulter: No international comparisons of nurse to patient ratios have been made. Patient numbers fluctuate on a daily, weekly and monthly basis whereas work force data are snapshots at the end of each month. Nurse to bed ratios are therefore more generally used, however although the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publish data on nurse to bed ratios this cannot be used for meaningful international comparisons because of inconsistencies in the basis and coverage of the data.

Nurses

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 49W, on nurses, how many nurses, excluding midwives and health visiting staff, there were (a) in the NHS and (b) in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust on (i) 1 May 2010 and (ii) 1 May 2013.

Daniel Poulter: The table shows the full-time equivalent figures for qualified nursing staff, excluding midwives and health visitors in the national health service in England and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust for May 2010 and February 2013, the latest month for which figures are available.
	These figures do not include nurses working in general practitioner practices, who are not collected in the monthly workforce statistics.
	Health visitors are qualified nurses who have done an additional post graduate qualification. They work with children under the age of five.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services provisional monthly statistics : Qualified nurses(1) in England, the North East Strategic Health Authority area and each specified . organisation as at 31 May 2010 and 28 February 2013 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  May 2010 February 2013 
			 England 282,569 278,496 
			 Of which:   
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 18,157 18,129 
			 Of which:   
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 1,355 2,010 
			 (1) Figures are for qualified nursing staff, and exclude registered midwives and health visitors. Notes: 1. Provisional monthly workforce figures for May 2013 are due to be published in August 2013. 2. Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. As a consequence of TCS (Transforming Community Services) the former provider arm of some primary care trusts (PCTs) may have transferred into local acute trusts. This can be seen in the large increase in staff numbers at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which subsumed staff from Darlington PCT in September 2011. 4. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. 5. Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 the Health and Social Care Information Centre has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. it does not include Primary care staff or Bank staff); There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.hscic.gov.uk Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics

Nurses

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 49W, on nurses, how many midwives, excluding nurses and health visiting staff, there were (a) in the NHS and (b) in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust on (i) 1 May 2010 and (ii) 1 May 2013.

Daniel Poulter: The following table shows the full-time equivalent figures for midwives in the national health service in England and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust for May 2010 and February 2013, the latest month for which figures are available.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services provisional monthly statistics: Registered midwives in England, the North East Strategic Health Authority area and each specified organisation, as at 31 May 2010 and 28 February 2013 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  May 2010 February 2013 
			 England 20,132 21,494 
			 Of which:   
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 1,054 1,076 
		
	
	
		
			 Of which:   
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 193 203 
			 Notes: 1. Provisional monthly work force figures for May 2013 are due to be published in August 2013. 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 the Health and Social Care Information Centre has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. it does not include primary care staff or bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics.

Nutrition: Health Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of advice through the NHS to the public about the importance of diet.

Anna Soubry: Government dietary advice is encapsulated in the United Kingdom's national food guide, ‘the eatwell plate’. Organisations and individuals, including the national health service, are encouraged to use the eatwell plate to help ensure everyone receives consistent messages about the balance of foods in a healthy diet.
	The Government provides dietary advice through the NHS to the public through the NHS Choices website, which provides a wealth of consumer based dietary information and advice.
	Dieticians and other health professionals also have a key role within the NHS, by providing lifestyle and dietary advice during consultations.

Obesity: Drugs

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed with weight loss drugs on the NHS in (a) 2013 to date, (b) 2012 and (c) each of the preceeding five years.

Norman Lamb: Information is not held centrally on the number of people prescribed particular medicines. Information is available on prescription items dispensed in the community in England. The following table provides figures, in the latest available period from 2007, for medicines as defined by the British National Formulary section 4.5 ‘Drugs used in the treatment of obesity’.
	
		
			 Number of prescription items for medicines used to treat obesity, written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England 
			  Items (thousand) 
			 2007 1,237.0 
			 2008 1,282.2 
			 2009 1,453.7 
			 2010 1410.7 
			 2011 899.3 
			 2012 392.1 
			 Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. The Health and Social Care Information Centre

Organs: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage people to join the Organ Donor Register.

Anna Soubry: We have a number of initiatives to encourage people to add their name to the Organ Donation Register (ODR). Much of this work is led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in conjunction with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors. For example, people may sign up to the ODR when they register with a new general practitioner, when applying for a new passport, when applying for a European Health Insurance Card, and when applying for a Boots advantage card. We have established a prompted choice scheme, working in partnership with the Department of Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which requires people applying for a driving licence on-line to consider organ donation.
	NHSBT also run multi media campaigns, education programmes in schools and community engagement programmes to raise awareness of organ donation and promote registration on the ODR. They also organise National Transplant Week, an annual event to raise awareness of organ donation, to motivate people to act and join ODR and discuss their wishes with their loved ones. Transplant Week 2013 will take place between 8-14 July.
	HSBT are in the process of developing their post 2013 strategy—building on the Organ Donation Task Force recommendations and identifying new ways to make sure that as many people as possible in the United Kingdom receive the transplant they need.
	We have also set up the National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people on bone marrow and whole organ registers, and to increase donation rates in those communities.

Organs: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to mark National Transplant Week.

Anna Soubry: National Transplant Week is an annual event organised by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and is being held this year between 8-14 July. The week aims to raise awareness of organ donation and to motivate people to act and join the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). National Transplant Week 2013 will be the second year that NHSBT has led campaign activity in collaboration with the wider transplant community under the theme of "Pass it On". Through a range of events, case studies, media engagement and the use of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, the campaign will encourage individuals to tell loved ones about their donation wishes and to raise awareness of the issue of organ donation and motivate people to sign up to the ODR.

Organs: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will liaise with the Secretary of State for Education to encourage local schools to take up their Give and Let Live resources which allow teachers to incorporate education about organ and blood donation into the curriculum.

Anna Soubry: Give and Let Live is an award-winning educational resource produced by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to promote donation to 14 to 16-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is designed to be delivered by teachers in science and religious education, as well as personal social and health education lessons. The resource is available as a hard copy teaching pack, supported by a dedicated website
	www.giveandletlive.co.uk
	from where the materials may also be downloaded. A total of 9,171 packs have now been requested since Give and Let Live was launched in 2007.
	The new NHSBT strategy includes specific-action to
	'explore with education departments the possibility of incorporating organ donation and transplantation issues into school curricula'.
	Departmental officials will work with colleagues from NHSBT to explore with officials in the Department for Education how organ donation and transplantation issues could be further promulgated within schools.

Organs: Donors

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2013, Official Report, column 316W, on organs, what progress is being made to improve the allocation system for lungs donated for transplant to achieve greater equity and outcomes for patients; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) are currently working with clinicians and transplant centres to assess whether improvements can be made to the current lung allocation system. Several models are being considered and the outcome of this assessment is planned to be available by the end of 2013. In the interim, NHSBT continue to monitor patient outcomes and are reassured that there is no significant difference in patient survival across the United Kingdom lung transplant centres.

Prescription Drugs

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made on commissioning dedicated withdrawal services for patients involuntarily addicted to prescribed medication; which services have been commissioned so far; how those services are centrally recorded; and whether addiction to medicines withdrawal services are intended to set drug-free goals.

Anna Soubry: Services to treat dependence are commissioned locally. Information about whether dedicated or integrated services are commissioned is not collected centrally. Clinicians treating addiction to medicine are expected to follow the “UK guidelines on clinical management of drug misuse and dependence” and other relevant guidance.
	Drug free goals are the norm for this form of treatment. Local areas should assess clinical guidelines and develop local protocols for clinicians in that area to help them reduce doses safely and comfortably for each individual patient.

Prescription Drugs

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for (a) benzodiazepine tranquillisers, (b) Z drug tranquillisers and (c) SSRI antidepressants were issued in each quarter of 2012.

Norman Lamb: Information on the number of prescriptions written is not available, only on the number of prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England. The number of prescription items dispensed for each of these drug groups is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Thousands 
			  2012 
			 Prescription items Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 
			 Benzodiazepines(1) 2,517.0 2,477.7 2,492.3 2,480.9 
			 Z drugs(1) 1,587.5 1,511.6 1,537.3 1,581.6 
			 SSRI antidepressants(2) 6,627.1 6,672.9 6,785.0 7,006.2 
			 (1)As classified within British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.1 hypnotics and anxioytics (2 )As classified within BNF section 4.3.3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system data provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

Primary Care Trusts: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was returned to the Government by primary care trusts in Merseyside before their dissolution.

Daniel Poulter: The latest published forecast outturns for primary care trusts (PCTs) in Merseyside are shown in the following table. However the actual financial situation is not yet established.
	
		
			 Merseyside PCTs 2012-13 quarter 3 surplus (£000) 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 2,689 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,650 
			 Liverpool PCT 4,941 
			 Sefton PCT 2,624 
			 Wirral PCT 3,088 
			 Source: Department of Health, The Quarter 20 12-13, Quarter 3. 
		
	
	An underspend in 2012-13 would not be lost to the national health service, and would be made available to NHS England for high quality sustainable health services. Carrying a surplus provides the NHS with flexibility to respond to unexpected cost pressures. Plans assume a steady use of the underspend over a number of years, funded from the wider departmental budget. As for other Government Departments, departmental underspends are returned to HM Treasury to help in wider fiscal deficit reduction.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the equality of access available for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in communicating with (a) the health and social care professionals and (b) the agencies and public bodies which support his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures his Department has in place to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) local health and social care professionals and (b) the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible.

Norman Lamb: We have made no such assessment. However, individual national health service bodies and the Department's arm's length bodies have a Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This duty requires a public authority to have due regard to eliminating discrimination between those with and without a protected characteristic; and to advancing equality of opportunity between those with and without a protected characteristic. This means removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people in protected groups, and considering steps to meet the needs of protected groups where these are different from those of other people.
	Public authorities are also under a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to make sure that a disabled person can. use a service as close as reasonably possible to the standard usually offered to non-disabled people. The duty is anticipatory which means that authorities cannot wait until a disabled person wants to use their services, but they must think in advance (and on an ongoing basis) about what disabled people with a range of impairments might reasonably need, including communication support for deaf people.
	To help the NHS meet the requirements of the Equality act, including the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Equality Delivery System has been introduced to drive up equality performance and embed it into mainstream NHS business. Further guidance on reasonable adjustments is. also available in the Equality Act 2010: Public Functions and Associations Statutory Code of Practice.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Norman Lamb: The Department and its arm's length bodies have a Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This duty requires a public authority to have due regard to eliminating discrimination between those with .and without a protected characteristic and to advancing equality of opportunity between those with and without a protected characteristic. This means removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people in protected groups, and considering steps to meet the needs of protected groups where these are different from those of other people.
	Public authorities are also under a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to make sure that a disabled person can use a service as close as reasonably possible to the standard usually offered to non-disabled people. The duty is anticipatory which means that authorities cannot wait until a disabled person wants to use their services/ but they must think in advance (and on an ongoing basis) about what disabled people with a range of impairments might reasonably need, including communication support for deaf people.
	Further guidance on reasonable adjustments is also available in the Equality Act 2010: Public Functions and Associations Statutory Code of Practice.

Sleep Apnoea

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness and treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Anna Soubry: Improving outcomes for people with respiratory diseases such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a key priority for this Government. It is specifically covered in both the Public Health and NHS Outcomes Frameworks, against which NHS England will need to demonstrate progress.
	It will be for the National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease, Professor Mike Morgan, to advise on whether additional specific initiatives are needed to promote best practice for people with OSA.

Social Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure the spread and adoption of the my home life programme since the publication of the Care and Support White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: My Home Life is a collaborative movement to improve the quality of life for everyone connected with care homes for older people. As set out in the 'Caring for our future' White Paper, the Government strongly supports the aims of My Home Life, including its work to connect care homes to the local community and to improve the leadership skills of care home managers. To support the work of My Home Life, the Department of Health awarded grant funding to My Home Life of £174,686 over the period of 2009-10 to 2012-13.
	The Government launched online quality profiles for all registered adult social care providers on the NHS Choices website on 25 April 2013. The online quality profiles give the public information about the services providers offer and helps them choose the care and support which best meets their needs. Care homes taking part in the My Home Life movement are able to attach a “quality mark” to signal this on the performance page of their online quality profile. In this way the Department is helping promote the movement and encourage more care homes to take part.
	The Department has worked with the National Skills Academy to agree that it will support My Home Life to roll out its Leadership Support and Community Development Programme for care home managers, providing financial support to take this forward.

Surgery

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the clinical benefits of larger paediatric cardiac surgical units;
	(2)  whether the latest partial risk adjustment in surgery data confirms the conclusion of the 2011 Safe and Sustainable Review that surgery would be better focused at fewer, larger sites.

Anna Soubry: Following referrals from three local health overview and scrutiny committees, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), asked the Independent Reconfiguration Panel to undertake a full review of the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services.
	The panel was asked to advise the Secretary of State whether it is of the opinion that the proposals for change under the Safe and Sustainable review will enable the provision of safe, sustainable and accessible services and if not, why not.
	The Secretary of State has now received and is considering the panel's advice, which covers a raft of issues, including the use of data in the Safe and Sustainable review, and he will make a decision in due course.

Surgery

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a detailed analysis of surgical performance, in association with the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence aimed at quantifying other factors that affect surgical success rates such as ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation, national funding, technical difficulty and unit size.

Anna Soubry: It is critical that patients and commissioners, understand the quality of services being delivered within national health service hospitals and other health care settings. To enable this, outcomes data from national clinical audits for consultants practising in a range of surgical specialities will be published in the summer. This is a ground-breaking step which will herald a new level of transparency about health outcomes from NHS services. The NHS has already published consultant-level outcomes data in cardiac surgery, which resulted in the United Kingdom going from being below average in Europe for survival rates to among the best for health outcomes in that speciality.
	The publication of these data is a key offer from NHS England to give NHS commissioners the insights and evidence they need to produce better local health outcomes. Publication will also enable further detailed analysis of the performance of both individual NHS trusts and consultants to be undertaken by other organisations. This will support the right of patients to choose the most appropriate setting for their care and contribute to achieving better outcomes for patients and local communities.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Daniel Poulter: The Department and its agencies do not receive either a share of any revenue its providers make, or any reduction in their bills or their tariff. Similarly, the Department and its agencies do not receive any free or reduced priced telephony services.

Tobacco: Packaging

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on plain packaging for cigarettes; and what recent discussions and meetings he has held with interested parties on this issue.

Anna Soubry: The Government has not yet made a decision following the ‘Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products’. This is an important decision and one that will only be taken after full consideration of the consultation responses, evidence and other relevant information.
	Since December 2012 the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), met representatives of Cancer Research UK (CRUK) on 7 February 2013, during which standardised packaging was mentioned. The Secretary of State also had a telephone call with the CRUK chief executive on 17 April 2013 to discuss this issue. I met with a Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University (Australia) on 17 April when the issue was discussed.
	Details of earlier ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly and can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-external-meetings-october-december-2012
	This has come up on occasion in discussions with hon. Members during my ministerial surgeries.

Tobacco: Packaging

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his timetable is for making a decision on introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes.

Anna Soubry: The Government has not yet made a decision on this policy. This is an important decision and one that will only be taken after full consideration of the consultation responses, evidence and other relevant information.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 19 January 2012, Official Report, column 932W, on benzodiazepines, how many licences for the manufacture or supply of (a) benzodiazepine and (b) Z drug tranquillisers have been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency since that date.

Norman Lamb: Since 19 January 2012 six new marketing authorisations have been granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for medicines containing benzodiazepines and two new marketing authorisations have been granted for ‘Z’ tranquilisers.
	The information required is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Benzodiazepines 
			 Drug substance Market authorisation holder Date licensed by MHRA Licensed product name 
			 Clobazam Martindale Pharmaceuticals Limited 11 February 2013 Taplcob 5mg/5ml Oral Supension 
			 Clobazam Martindale Pharmaceuticals Limited 11 February 2013 Taplclob 10mg/5ml Oral Suspension 
			 Lormetazepam Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Limited 8 March 2013 Lormetazepam 0.5mg Tablets 
			 Lormetazepam Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Limited UK 8 March 2013 Lormetazepam lmg Tablets 
			 Lorazepam Morningside Healthcare Limited 3 December 2012 Lorazepam lmg tablets 
			 Lorazepam Morningside Healthcare Limited 3 December 2012 Lorazepam 2.5mg tablets 
		
	
	
		
			 Z Tranquilizers 
			 Drug substance Authorisation holder company name Date licensed by MHRA Licensed product name 
			 Zolpidem Tartrate Media Pharmaceuticals Limited 17 August 2012 Edular 5mg Sublingual tablets 
			 Zolpidem Tartrate Media Pharmaceuticals Limited 17 August 2012 Edular l0mg tablets

Transplant Surgery

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a decision will be made on whether NHS England will commission the auto-islet transplant procedure; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: NHS England currently commissions islet transplant services from six centres in England. These centres undertake allotransplantation, which involves taking islet cells from donor pancreases and transplanting them into patients. This service has been nationally commissioned since April 2008.
	However, NHS England does not currently commission an auto transplantation service, where a diseased pancreas is removed from a patient, the islet cells are isolated and then re-implanted into the patient. NHS England is considering a proposal for a pancreatectomy and islet auto transplantation service for chronic pancreatitis. An application has been received from four hospitals (Churchill Hospital, Kings College Hospital, Freeman Hospital Newcastle and University Hospitals of Leicester) and is currently being processed through the Hepatobiliary Clinical Reference Group. It is expected that the service proposal will be considered at NHS England's Internal Medicine Programme of Care Board at the end of June.
	The Care Board's recommendation will then be considered by the Rare Disease Advisory Group and Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, which will advise NHS England.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Daniel Poulter: Budgets are profiled for the subsequent financial year only once departmental budgets have been confirmed. Expenditure profiled for 2013-14 for ministerial travel costs is set out in the following table but may be subject to change dependent upon business need.
	
		
			  Expenditure profiled for 2013-14 (£) 
			 Government Car Service (GCS) 139,000 
			 Private Hire Vehicles 0 
			 Taxis(1) (2)— 
			 Rail 4,700 
			 Aviation 30,000 
			 Other 0 
			 (1 )There is no set amount allocated for taxi expenditure. Taxi costs are profiled with GCS costs as they are recorded in the Department's Business Management System under the same budget line. (2) Included in GCS costs.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current Parliament.

Daniel Poulter: Information on departmental spend on Government Cars is published in the annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses.
	2010-11:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
	2010-12:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
	Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in due course.
	Information on taxi spend, other than the Government Car Service, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost of ministerial rail travel broken down by financial year is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 6,162.40 
			 2011-12 4,790.45 
			 2012-13 3,337.13 
			 Note: Data for 2010-11 is from May 2010 onwards. 
		
	
	Details of all ministerial overseas travel, including costs, are published quarterly in arrears on the data.gov.uk website.

Vetting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that infrastructure projects for his Department are not delivered by firms involved in the blacklisting of construction workers.

Daniel Poulter: Blacklisting is an abhorrent practice. That is why, in response to the findings of the investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office into The Consulting Association, and subsequent consultation, the Government legislated in 2010 to prohibit the use of blacklists. The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 make it unlawful, subject to certain exemptions, to compile, use, sell or supply 'prohibited lists', ie a blacklist. Individuals who believe they are being excluded from employment because of a blacklist should seek redress in county courts in England and Wales, or Court of Session in Scotland. Other rights under the regulations can be enforced in employment tribunals.
	The creation, supply or use of a blacklist is also likely to amount to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 as information about the individual's membership of a trade union is sensitive personal data. The Information Commissioner has the power, increased in 2010, to impose fines, of up to £500,000 for serious breaches, on data controllers who unlawfully process data. This can include not only the individual or company that created the blacklist, but any employer or agency using it for employment vetting.
	It is also unlawful under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 to refuse to employ a person because they are a member or not a member of a trade union, or because they refuse to join or leave a trade union. It is equally unlawful for an agency to refuse employment services on those grounds. An individual can bring an employment tribunal claim within three months of the offence taking place, or longer if the tribunal decides it was not reasonably practicable to bring the claim in time.
	To date, we have received no evidence that blacklisting is ongoing, though Ministers are keen to encourage individuals to come forward with any new evidence. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met the Information Commissioner on 2 April 2013 to discuss how any new evidence would be handled.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of introducing a policy of removing all in-situ asbestos-containing materials within an agreed time-period for the purposes of reducing the continuing risk of exposure.

Mark Hoban: Where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are in good condition, and unlikely to be disturbed, there is no clear evidence that removal of ACMs is safer than managing them safely in situ.
	Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, owners (or those people responsible for maintenance) of non-domestic buildings have a clear responsibility to assess for the presence of ACMs and to put in place a plan to manage any resulting risk. This includes: monitoring the condition of the ACMs; arranging for repair or enclosure/encapsulation if required; or, in those cases where the assessment shows this to be necessary, arranging for their removal. This provides a practical way to identify, prioritise and properly plan what action needs to be taken.

Asbestos

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action his Department is taking to draw attention to householders of the risk arising from the disturbance of asbestos-containing materials within domestic properties.

Don Foster: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Home owners have the primary responsibility for ensuring that their properties are safe and well-maintained. In the case of social and privately rented properties, it is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that properties are safe and well-maintained.
	However, under the Housing Act 2004, local authorities have a duty to keep housing conditions in their area under review, and strong powers to take action to tackle hazards in residential properties, including asbestos.

Billing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bills paid by his Department to private sector contractors took over three months to settle in the last year for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: Only 0.46% of payments were made after 30 days. The number of bills paid by the Department to private sector contractors that took over three months to settle in the last year is not collated centrally, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Cattle: Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ask the Health and Safety Executive to investigate which cattle breeds are most likely to injure people.

Mark Hoban: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keeps records of all incidents (accidents and complaints) that are reported to it. Certain incidents (accidents) are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (as amended) (RIDDOR).
	There is no requirement under RIDDOR or other health and safety legislation for breeds of cattle involved in incidents to be reported to HSE. The breed of the cattle will only be recorded by HSE where it is relevant to the investigation of a specific incident.

Cattle: Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Health and Safety Executive plans to take to protect farmers and walkers from certain continental breeds of cattle.

Mark Hoban: HSE published revised guidance on cattle and public access to farmland in 2012 in consultation with DEFRA. The guidance, in the form of Agriculture Information Sheet 17EW ‘Cattle and public access in England and Wales’ can be found at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais17ew.pdf
	The guidance is targeted at farmers and land managers who keep cattle in fields and enclosures to enable them to do discharge their legal duties to protect workers and others (including members of the public) from risks involving cattle.

Disposable Income

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people and (b) disabled people in work live in households with incomes below 60 per cent of contemporary median net disposable household income (i) before and (ii) after housing costs.

Esther McVey: In 2010-11 in the UK there were:
	(a) i. 5.5 million working-age adults living in households with incomes below 60% of contemporary median net disposable household income, of which 2.2 million were in work, on a before housing costs basis.
	ii. 7.8 million working-age adults living in households with incomes below 60% of contemporary median net disposable household income, of which 3.3 million were in work, on an after housing costs basis.
	(b) i. 1.3 million disabled working-age adults living in households with incomes below 60% of contemporary median net disposable household income, of which 0.2 million were in work, on a before housing costs.
	ii. 1.7 million disabled working-age adults in work living in households with incomes below 60% of contemporary median net disposable household income, of which 0.3 million were in work, on an after housing costs basis.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
	The working-age population is the most appropriate client group for analysing work status, as children and pensioners are generally not in work.
	Low income figures are published annually in the Households below Average Income publication available here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai

Employment and Support Allowance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the letter of 29 May 2013 from the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority to the hon. Member for Edinburgh East on the use of official statistics relating to employment and support allowance.

Mark Hoban: DWP release a large amount of national and official statistics via its website, which can be accessed and used by anyone outside the Department, including Members of Parliament.

Employment and Support Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employment and support allowance claimants referred to prime contractors in the last six months have had (a) zero, (b) one, (c) two, (d) three and (e) four or more interviews.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Employment: Autism

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what work his Department does with employer organisations to raise awareness of the benefits of employing people with conditions such as autism.

Esther McVey: We are committed to ensuring that disabled people, including people with autism, have the opportunities, chances and support that they need to get a job and remain in employment.
	In October 2010, DWP responded to a number of requests from disabled people and disability organisations to look at ways to improve the DWP customer service experience and increase work opportunities for individuals with Hidden Impairment conditions, which include: Autistic Spectrum Conditions including Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Speech and Language and Mental ill Health. A national steering group entitled The Hidden Impairment National Group (HING) was set up to progress this agenda.
	The HING, chaired by DWP, has a strong and productive membership including disabled people with hidden impairment conditions, medical professionals and academics and disability specific organisations such as The Adsetts Partnership, Autism Plus, Complex Minds, Addept, The National Autistic Society, The Dyscovery Centre, The Dyspraxia Foundation, The Dyslexia Foundation and Dyslexia Action.
	Together, the HING has had a significant impact on improving the DWP customer service experience for people with hidden impairments; developing a range of resources including an on-line toolkit, for all DWP staff.
	The HING has also recognised the importance of sharing this information with the wider business community across the country and is engaging with a large number of employers to help them to better recruit and retain disabled people and in particular individuals with hidden impairments. The HING has facilitated employer events to raise awareness of the skills, talents and abilities of many people with these conditions. For further information the HING has created a website that enables employers to register for free resources that will encourage them to recruit and retain disabled talent. This can be found at:
	www.hing.org.uk
	The Department is also currently updating its strategy on engaging with employers on disability employment. This is expected to include deepening the support and resources available to employers in a strategic way.

Food Banks

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people experiencing problems with disposable income who have used food banks run by the charitable, voluntary and private sectors in each region and constituent part of the UK in the current and three previous financial years.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not collate or hold numbers of the referrals to food banks.

Food Banks

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to record all referrals made by government agencies for people to (a) receive emergency food aid and (b) visit food banks.

Mark Hoban: Referrals to food banks or food aid can currently be made by a range of bodies. The Department for Work and Pensions does not monitor this activity.

Health and Safety Executive: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed by the Health and Safety Executive in the North East in each year since 2008.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the minimum and maximum number of staff employed by HSE in the north east for each calendar year. The figures for 2013 are from January 2013 to June 2013.
	
		
			  Min Max Average 
			 2008 74 78 76 
			 2009 76 83 81 
			 2010 82 86 84 
			 2011 79 84 80 
			 2012 74 76 75 
			 2013 74 75 75 
		
	
	Figures provided relate to staff permanently based at HSE office in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Homelessness

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will work with homelessness organisations to assess the effectiveness of the toolkit for the identification of homelessness by Jobcentre Plus advisors.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State meets representatives of homeless charities on a regular basis to discuss a whole range of topics and these meetings are not limited to any particular subject matter.
	There is no specific toolkit for the identification of homelessness. However, Jobcentre Plus advisers are equipped with the necessary guidance and training to identify and provide an appropriate level of tailored support for the homeless, as well as other disadvantaged groups. As a priority group, the homeless are able to access additional support through Jobcentre Plus advisers to enter employment, including early access to the Work Programme. The guidance which supports Jobcentre Plus advisers is subject to regular review to ensure its effectiveness for helping to tackle homelessness and the barriers it creates to employment.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the award of discretionary housing grants to victims of domestic violence who are rehoused in accommodation which they are deemed to under-occupy.

Steve Webb: Revised, guidance was issued to local authorities in April this year.
	Throughout this guidance we advise local authorities to consider awarding a discretionary housing payment to victims of domestic violence, whether they had to flee domestic violence or have moved because of the threat of violence.
	While this guidance does not specifically refer to victims of domestic violence who are deemed to under-occupy, we advise local authorities to consider that it may not always be possible for a claimant to seek the most affordable accommodation when they need to seek a place of safety.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether currently deployed armed forces service personnel are exempted from the under-occupancy penalty under the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2013 if prior to their deployment they stayed in barracks.

Steve Webb: This Government recognises the unique and important role played by the UK armed forces and the sacrifices they are prepared to make.
	Adult children who are in the armed forces but who usually reside with parents will be treated as living at home when deployed on operations, for the purposes of the removal of the spare room subsidy. In the event that they stayed in barracks as a part of their pre-deployment training, then they will be treated as if they were occupying their parents' home during this period.
	Adult children who are in the armed forces but who usually live in barracks are not treated as occupying their parents' home during periods of deployment.

Jobcentre Plus

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what annual targets his Department has set for Jobcentre Plus (JCP) employees in relation to the number of (a) complaints made and (b) appeals made against their respective JCPs; and whether failure to meet those targets is reflected in the pay structure of JCP employees;
	(2)  what annual targets his Department has set for the number of sanctions made against people claiming unemployment benefit for prolonged periods of time; and whether success in meeting those targets is reflected in the pay structure of Jobcentre Plus employees;
	(3)  what annual targets his Department has set for the number of people on unemployment benefits who are sanctioned and taken off those benefits; and whether success in meeting those targets is reflected in the pay structure of Jobcentre Plus employees.

Mark Hoban: As there are no targets for jobcentres in respect of numbers of complaints, appeals or the number of sanctions applied to claimant's benefits, these are not reflected in the pay structure of Jobcentre Plus employees.

Jobcentre Plus

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of staff in Jobcentre Plus centres have received training in autism.

Mark Hoban: We do not have figures on training specifically targeted at people on the autistic spectrum as there are no training products that separate this from other health conditions. However, all Jobcentre Plus staff have access to a comprehensive learning programme to support them in dealing with customers with varied health conditions including autism. This learning focuses on raising awareness of the individual's personal circumstances and recognises that health conditions such as autism can affect individuals in different ways. Staff also have access to a suite of guidance and specialist sources of help including the Hidden Impairment Toolkit and the ‘Employment Health Conditions Disability Guide note for Advisers’, which provides practical advice and guidance on how best to support individuals with autistic spectrum disorders into employment.
	Disability employment advisers receive additional learning appropriate to this specialist area. Their training has been designed in conjunction with specialist DWP occupational psychologists to enable them to provide effective support to people with particular complex needs and includes case studies relating to autism to ensure the key points are communicated effectively in the learning.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people receiving contributory jobseeker's allowance moved on to income-based jobseeker's allowance after reaching the 182-day limit on the contributory element in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not readily available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseekers in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency have received a sanction in the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: The information requested has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
	http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2013-0898/17601_PQ155681_Sancs_Time_Series_ParlC_final.xls

Jobseeker's Allowance: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of jobseekers' allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency have been sanctioned in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many claimants of jobseeker’s allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency have been sanctioned in the last 12 months for which figures are available is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of individuals with an adverse jobseeker's allowance sanction applied in Kilmarnock and Loudoun Constituency: 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012 
			  Total 
			 Number of individuals with a sanction applied 1,040 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and will only include the latest sanction referral for individuals who have had more than one referral decision or the same decision in more than one year e.g. if an individual has had more than one sanction referral, only the latest will appear, “—” denotes nil or negligible. 2. The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied(5), Fixed Length(6) and Entitlement Decision(7 )sanction referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 3. The year 2012 only includes data up to and including 31 May, which are the latest data available for all geographical areas. 4. Parliamentary constituency: Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. More information and a map can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/maps/index.html 5. Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. 6. Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. 7. Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to jobseeker's allowance depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the Jobseeker's agreement is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of jobseeker's allowance will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.

Jobseeker's Allowance: West Midlands

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of jobseeker's allowance in (a) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency and (b) the West Midlands (i) received a sanction and (ii) received a sanction and disputed it in each of the last five years; and how many such claimants had a sanction overturned as a result of it being reconsidered or appealed in each such year.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in (a) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency and (b) West Midlands have (i) received a sanction and (ii) received a sanction and disputed it in each of the last five years; and how many such claimants had a sanction overturned as a result of it being reconsidered or appealed in each such year are given in the following tables:
	
		
			 Number(1) of jobseeker's allowance claimants with a sanction applied by area and year(2):1 January 2008 to 31 May 2012 
			   Year(2) 
			 Area Action(3) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 West Midlands(4) Sanction applied 30,050 39,550 50,780 54,600 31,590 
			 Birmingham, Hall Green, Parliamentary Constituency(5) Sanction applied 1,040 1,360 1,800 2,040 1,170 
		
	
	
		
			 Number(1) of jobseeker's allowance sanctioned claimants who asked for a reconsideration or appealed the original decision by area and year(2):1 January 2008 to 31 May 2012 
			   Year(2) 
			 Area Action(3) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 West Midlands(4) Reconsidered 5,330 6,540 12,270 16,590 9,210 
			  Appealed 850 850 1,450 1,720 660 
			        
			 Birmingham, Hall Green, Parliamentary Constituency(5) Reconsidered 120 140 270 470 340 
			  Appealed 60 60 80 90 30 
		
	
	
		
			 Number(1) of jobseeker's allowance sanctioned claimants where the original decision was overturned on reconsideration or appeal by area and year(2):1 January 2008 to 31 May 2012 
			   Year(2) 
			 Area Action(3) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 West Midlands(4) Overturned—Reconsideration 2,950 3,840 7,920 9,320 4,560 
			  Overturned—Appeal 120 110 170 390 160 
			        
			 Birmingham, Hall Green, Parliamentary Constituency(5) Overturned—Reconsideration 80 90 180 300 200 
		
	
	
		
			  Overturned—Appeal * * 10 20 10 
			 “*” Denotes nil or negligible. (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and will include individuals who have had more than one referral decision or the same decision in more than one year e.g. if an individual has a sanction applied and has also appealed a sanction then they will appear twice. (2) Year of Decision: The year in which the decision on the sanction referral, reconsideration or appeal was made. The year 2012 only includes data up to and including 31 May, which this is the latest data available for all geographical areas. (3) Action: The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied(6), Fixed Length(7) and Entitlement Decision(8) sanction referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. The decision to apply a sanction can be overturned following reconsideration or appeal by the Sector Decision Maker. (4) Jobcentre Plus Districts: Jobcentre Plus Districts were updated to reflect the changes to the hierarchical structure of Jobcentre Plus implemented on 5 April 2011 from 48 districts to 37 districts. West Midlands consists of Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire and Mercia Jobcentre Plus Districts. (5) Parliamentary Constituency: Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. More information and a map can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/maps/index.html (6) Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. (7) Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. (8) Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to jobseeker's allowance depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the jobseeker's agreement is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of jobseeker's allowance will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 1 May 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs Susan Herbert.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), replied to the right hon. Member on 5 June 2013.

Pensions: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on pension entitlements and pension contributions of the working age being lower in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain between 1947 and 1957.

Steve Webb: This is a matter for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Personal Independence Payment

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of personal independence payment on the number of disabled people living in relative poverty.

Esther McVey: It is very difficult to estimate the impacts of the introduction of personal independence payment (PIP) on all disabled people. Analysis of the impact of personal independence payment (PIP) is based on a study comprising a sample of 900 volunteers, who were currently or had previously received disability living allowance, who were assessed against the new entitlement criteria. The study did not collect information about claimants' income levels, therefore we are unable to assess what effect the introduction of PIP will have on the number of disabled people living in relative poverty.

Procurement

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety standards his Department specifies when inviting procurement bids; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: DWP terms and conditions are included as part of the Invitation to Tender sent to potential suppliers. They require contractors to comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and any other Acts, orders, regulations and codes of practice relating to health and safety, which may apply to staff and other persons working on the premises in the performance of its obligations under the contract. Contractors are required to notify the Department of any health and safety hazards which may arise in connection with the performance of its obligations under the contract. Contractors need to notify DWP in the event of any incident occurring in the performance of its obligations under the contract on the premises where that incident causes any personal injury or damage to property which could give rise to personal injury. Contractors need to provide their health and safety policy statement (as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974) to the Department on request.

Procurement

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration is given to the health and safety records of bidders when awarding departmental contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: DWP commercial policy fully complies with Government policy to ensure bidders' past performance is taken into account in certain future Government procurements. This applies when procuring goods and/or services in respect of ICT, facilities management or business processing outsourcing with a total anticipated contract value of £20 million or greater. This ensures bidders with the requisite standards of technical and professional ability are selected and includes consideration of past failure to provide goods and/or services or any other failure.

Social Security Benefits

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make an assessment of the average delays in payment of new or revised claims for (a) employment and support allowance, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) housing benefit and (d) income support in each region and constituent part of the UK in the financial years (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the effect of delays in payment of new or revised claims for (a) employment and support allowance, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) housing benefit and (d) income support on weekly average household disposable income in each region and constituent part of the UK in the financial years (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: The Department for Work and Pensions is unable to make such an assessment. Data needed to underpin such an assessment is not collated routinely.

Social Security Benefits

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the impact of benefit sanctions in respect of (a) the reduction of benefits and (b) the withdrawal of benefits affecting claimants for (i) employment and support allowance, (ii) jobseeker's allowance, (iii) housing benefit and (iv) income support on weekly average household disposable income in each region and constituent part of the UK in the financial years (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11, (C) 2011-12 and (D) 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: The Department is committed to an evaluation of the current sanctions regime. However, an estimate of the impact on household income cannot be made for a number of reasons; in particular we do not know what the claimants' circumstances would have been if the sanction had not been applied.

Social Security Benefits

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to publish on a regular basis the (a) number and (b) type of households not receiving benefits for which they have been assessed as eligible because of (i) administrative delays, (ii) errors and (iii) application of sanctions.

Mark Hoban: The information is not readily available in the format requested and there are currently no plans to publish such information.

Social Security Benefits: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of households in (a) Birmingham, Hall Green constituency and (b) Birmingham City region that will be affected by the benefit cap.

Mark Hoban: The number of households who we estimate will be affected by the benefit cap by:
	(a) Parliamentary constituency has been placed in the library and can be found here:
	http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2013-0858/UIN156279.pdf
	(b) Local authority area has been placed in the library and can be found here:
	http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2013-0676/Local_Authority_breakdown_of_those_ affected_by_the_benefit_cap_final.doc
	Birmingham City region is a sum of the local authorities within, therefore can be found at the link above.

State Retirement Pensions: Carers

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to introduce a carer's supplement to the basic state pension.

Steve Webb: Entitlement to the state pension is based on a person's national insurance contributions record. Carers may receive credits which count towards it.
	It is a principle of the social security system that two income-replacement benefits, such as carer's allowance and state pension, cannot be paid together. This is known as the overlapping benefits rule. If a carer's basic state pension is less than carer's allowance, it is paid and topped up with carer's allowance to the basic weekly rate of carer's allowance.
	Pensioners with income below a certain level can get help from pension credit. Pensioners who are entitled to carer’s allowance can also be entitled to an additional amount in pension credit.
	Where carer's allowance cannot be paid because of the overlapping benefits rule, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit and therefore entitlement to the additional amount for carers in pension credit.
	We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of universal credit on 31 May 2013.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne) on 21 May 2013, Official Report, column 675W, on how many people have claimed universal credit in the pathfinder to date. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish Official Statistics on pathfinder areas in autumn 2013.
	We expect around 7,000 claims to be processed in the pathfinder.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the whole life cost of the universal credit project; whether this estimate has changed since 2010; and if he will make a statement about the differences in those estimates.

Mark Hoban: Estimates for the whole life cost can be found in the publicly available Major Projects Authority annual report. The whole life cost is primarily driven by the annual operating costs of universal credit and changes to reflect policy, design and rollout decisions. The implementation of universal credit remains within the £2 billion budget allocated in the 2010 spending review.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what circumstances someone undertaking study or training will be eligible to receive universal credit.

Mark Hoban: People undertaking study or training will be eligible for universal credit provided the course is compatible with the work-related requirements appropriate in their case and it is not:
	a course of non-advanced education or training undertaken by a young person whose parent would be eligible for the child element of UC;
	a full-time course of advanced education, or
	another full-time course for which a student loan or grant has been provided.
	In addition there is no restriction on entitlement to UC while undertaking any course of study or training where the student:
	is a member of a couple where the other eligible adult is entitled to universal credit;
	has dependent children or foster children (whether as a lone parent or member of a couple where both are students);
	is disabled, entitled to disability living allowance or personal independence payment and satisfies the work capability assessment;
	is over the qualifying age for pension credit (in couple cases where one is over and one under that age); and
	for non-advanced education only, they are up to age 21 and without parental support.
	Eligible claimants who are in advanced education and in receipt of a student loan or grant for the course they are undertaking will be placed in the no work related requirements group while they are undertaking that course, except for during the long vacation. Claimants aged under 21 without parental support who are undertaking non-advanced education will also be placed in the no work related requirements group. In other cases work-related requirements will apply as normal.

Universal Credit: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who will receive universal credit but do not currently have a bank account.

Mark Hoban: No formal estimate has been made of the number of claimants without bank accounts who will receive universal credit.
	DWP currently issues payments to around 3,000 working age claimants through the post office card account in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun area. Many of these claimants already have access to a bank account; others will be offered support to access suitable financial products and money advice before migrating to universal credit.

Universal Credit: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which people aged under 18 years old will be eligible to claim universal credit.

Mark Hoban: The lower age limit for universal credit is normally 18.
	Certain 16 and 17-year-olds are entitled to claim universal credit in their own right both where they are living with their parents and where they are not:
	those with dependent children—lone parents or couples;
	sick or disabled young people who have satisfied the work capability assessment or are waiting to be assessed with medical evidence;
	those who are caring for a severely disabled person; and
	young women who are pregnant between 11 weeks before and 15 weeks after the expected date of confinement.
	16 and 17-year-olds who are without parental support are also entitled to claim universal credit in their own right but only where they are not living with their parents.

Work Capability Assessment

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Corby constituency, (b) Northamptonshire, (c) East Midlands and (d) East Anglia have submitted an appeal against a work capability assessment carried out by Atos Origin in each year since the inception of that assessment.

Mark Hoban: Decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) rest solely with the Department's decision makers taking into account the medical assessment reports from Atos and any other relevant information. The Department only holds information on appeals once they have been heard by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Information on pending appeals is not collected by DWP.
	The following table shows the number of appeals that have been heard against Fit for Work outcomes at initial work capability assessments (WCAs) for new ESA claims that started between October 2008 and February 2012 (the latest data available), by the year that the claim started, for claimants in (i) Northamptonshire, (ii) East Midlands and (iii) East Anglia. Please note that constituency level data are not available.
	
		
			 Appeals heard against Fit for Work outcomes at initial WCAs for new ESA claims that started between October 2008 and February 2012 for (i) Northamptonshire, (ii) East Midlands and (iii) East Anglia 
			  Northamptonshire East Midlands East Anglia 
			 Claim start date Fit for Work outcomes at initial WCAs Appeals heard Fit for Work outcomes at initial WCAs Appeals heard Fit for Work outcomes at initial WCAs Appeals heard 
			 October to December 2008 300 130 2,100 810 860 280 
			 January to December 2009 1,990 830 15,210 5,550 6,320 2,170 
			 January to December 2010 2,170 900 16,060 5,610 6,680 2,280 
		
	
	
		
			 January to December 2011 1,980 550 14,700 3,800 5,520 1,380 
			 January to February 2012 360 70 2,270 280 960 80 
			 Total 6,800 2,480 50,340 16,050 20,340 6,180 
			 Notes: 1. Rounding: All volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Hence totals may not sum exactly. 2. Information on appeals against repeat assessment, incapacity benefit reassessment and work related activity group outcomes are not included. 3. The volume of appeals heard and inferred to be on Fit for Work decision in each cohort are likely to alter over time and change is likely to be most marked in more recent cohorts. This is because of the length of time it takes to submit an appeal and have it heard by HMCTS. Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration datasets.

Work Programme

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to strengthen the minimum service standards for the Work programme.

Mark Hoban: Providers set out their minimum service standards as part of their bids for Work programme contracts. These standards have been published and providers must make them clear to all participants when they join the Work programme. The Department for Work and Pensions carries out regular compliance checks to ensure these standards are being met.
	If a participant is concerned that their provider is not meeting their minimum service standards, then they are able to raise the issue with their provider. If the participant is not satisfied with their provider's response, they are then able to escalate the complaint to the Independent Case Examiner.
	I have also set up the Work Programme: Building Best Practice group, which is independently chaired by Andrew Sells. This will explore best practice for minimum service levels, to ensure that they are transparent and measurable.
	We are exploring how providers are able to strengthen their minimum service standards.

Work Programme

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to improve job outcomes for homeless people in the Work programme.

Mark Hoban: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave previously to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch), and the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion), PQs 156145 and 155974, on 16 May 2013, Official Report, columns 357-58W.

Work Programme

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are expected to take up post-Work programme support in each of the next three years.

Mark Hoban: Projections of people expected to take up post-Work programme support would be based on data the Department plans to release as official statistics. We are therefore unable to provide estimates in response to this PQ without compromising the integrity of the statistical release.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many learners aged 19 to 23 years old achieved a Level 3 qualification through their statutory entitlement to a fully funded first full level 3 qualification in academic year (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12;
	(2)  how many learners aged 24 years and over achieved Level 2 qualifications in academic year (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12;
	(3)  how many learners aged 19 to 24 years old achieved Level 2 qualifications through their statutory entitlement to a fully funded first full level 2 qualification in academic year (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of Government-funded Further Education and Skills learners achieving a Level 2 and Level 3 qualification by age, 2009/10 to 2011/12. This includes learners across all Further Education and Skills provision types.
	Tables 2 to 5 show the number of Government-funded learners achieving a First Full level 2 and First Full level 3 qualification by age, for each provision type—Education and Training, Apprenticeships, Workplace Learning and Community Learning. We have presented First Full Level information separately as it is not possible to sum the individual provision types to give a total figure as this may double count learners.
	
		
			 Table 1: Further Education and Skills achievement by age and level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			  Level 2 Level 3 Level 2 Level 3 Level 2 Level 3 
			 19-23 183,090 100,070 175,350 98,330 180,940 96,400 
			 24+ 742,870 244,330 613,550 184,250 594,300 152,550 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Education and Training achievement by age and level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			  First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 
			 19-23 19,190 21,840 19,700 23,800 26,110 25,790 
			 24+ 43,900 30,620 51,160 30,600 72,030 28,700 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Apprenticeships achievement by age and level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			  First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 
			 19-23 15,180 15,540 16,590 17,420 20,190 18,440 
			 24+ 8,960 9,030 9,780 10,380 24,150 19,480 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: Workplace Learning achievement by age and level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			  First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 
			 19-23 17,820 4,920 15,280 3,950 8,610 2,090 
			 24+ 141,120 47,230 119,300 38,440 65,390 18,860 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 5: Community Learning achievement by age and level, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			  First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 First Full Level 2 First Full Level 3 
			 19-23 10 * 10 10 240 140 
			 24+ 50 30 160 90 1610 640 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. '*' indicates a figure of less than 5. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. Learners with an unknown age are included in the 24+ age category. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Bangladesh

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment UK Trade and Investment made of the compatibility with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights of its support for GCM Resource's Phulbari open cast coal mine project in Bangladesh.

Michael Fallon: The UK Trade and investment (UKTI) team in Dhaka provides support to UK companies seeking to do business in Bangladesh. It is for individual companies to make an assessment of the viability of any potential projects. UKTI does not have the remit or resources to undertake an assessment for a company of whether an individual project is environmentally, technically, socially or financially viable.
	We want to help British business succeed in a way that is consistent with our values. The promotion of business and the protection of human rights should go hand in hand. The Government intends to launch an action plan on business and human rights—based on the UN Guiding Principles—which will underpin business success by helping UK companies understand and manage human rights risk.

Business: Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will increase the scope of the pilot TradeUK credit scheme so that it can offer credit to a wider range of small and micro-businesses.

Michael Fallon: Expressions of interest have been received from 20 organisations to participate in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Trade Credit Pilot, which is currently available to trade customers of Kingfisher plc (B and Q and Screwfix).
	Formal negotiations have started with a number of trade credit providers, including a trade association who have proposed a collective model that would allow smaller independent builders merchants to participate in the scheme. New providers will be bought on board during the summer, expanding the scheme, providing additional finance to sole traders and small businesses.

Business: Staffordshire

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium sized businesses in Cannock Chase constituency.

Michael Fallon: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cannock Chase constituency can benefit from a range of national schemes to support businesses, provided by this Department, and local initiatives managed by organisations such as the county council and the local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).
	The Cannock Chase constituency is covered by both the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP and Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP. While there are no specific grants to SMEs in the Cannock Chase constituency, SMEs are able to benefit from two local programmes.
	The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP in partnership with North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce aims to boost local businesses by offering funding support for expansion, investment and job creation, through a grant scheme in targeted areas called the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Jobs and Growth Fund.
	Birmingham city council, on behalf of a cross-LEP consortium in the West Midlands, has been selected to receive funding from the Department's Regional Growth Fund. Small grants of up to £100,000 will be provided to boost SME supply chain companies in their transition to a green economy.
	At a national level, Government has continued to work with the banks and alternative and new funders to ensure that SMEs are able to access the finance they need. This includes our new Start-Up Loans aimed at young people setting up in business. One loan has been drawn-down in Cannock itself and 10 further loans have been drawn down in the surrounding area.
	SMEs in Cannock and Chase can also access
	www.gov.uk
	the new home for Government services and information online, and to help those that cannot use the internet, we will continue to offer support through the Business Link helpline on 0845 6009006.
	For businesses with high growth potential, we have launched “GrowthAccelerator”—a £200 million programme for up to 26,000 high growth potential SMEs, providing them with exactly the expertise, insight and networks they need to achieve sustainable growth. More information is available on the website at:
	www.growthaccelerator.com
	In addition, the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has assisted 25 manufacturing firms in Cannock since January 2012 with the firms benefiting from in-depth MAS support forecasting over £3 million in economic growth and the creation of up to 26 new jobs over the following year, with a further 83 jobs safeguarded. SMEs in Cannock Chase constituency are also able to access a wide range of export support from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), with 28 companies supported in this area in 2012-13. We are also planning an export event, as part of our series of events with MPs in the constituency in the autumn.

Business: Staffordshire

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of access to credit for businesses in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire in the last year.

Michael Fallon: It is one of the Government's main priorities to increase access to finance, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Funding for Lending Scheme is reducing the cost of lending to business and this was extended by a year in April and will be made available to providers of asset backed, invoice and lease/hire financial products which will further boost the availability of credit to SMEs.
	As of April 2013 the Department's Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) has offered loans totalling a value of £2.91 million to 38 businesses in Cannock Chase constituency and a total of 399 businesses in Staffordshire have been offered EFG loan with a total value of £38.77 million.

Companies: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many new companies were entered on the Companies Register in Birmingham in the first three months of (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

Michael Fallon: The estimated number of new companies incorporated by Companies House in the first three months of (a) 2011, (b) 2012, and (c) 2013 that have a registered office in Birmingham are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2011 2,386 
			 2012 2,726 
			 2013 2,596

Credit: Licensing

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he will report on the consultation on Climate Change Levy exemptions for metallurgical and mineralogical process.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The Budget announced a new exemption from the climate change levy for energy used in metallurgical and mineralogical processes from 1 April 2014. The Government is currently seeking views from industry on the design and scope of this exemption. This work is led by HM Revenue and Customs, who are working closely with industry in order to gain a dear understanding as to which processes should be covered by the new exemption. This will be followed in the summer by round table meetings to discuss these findings.
	Draft legislation to implement the exemption will be published around the time of the autumn statement 2013. This will provide a further opportunity for interested parties to comment.

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what measures are in place to control the export of cyber security software.

Michael Fallon: A licence is required for the export of cyber security software if that item is specially designed for military use or has a cryptographic capability as specified in Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 (which is known as the 'EU Dual-Use Regulation').
	All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors, including the prevailing circumstances in the recipient country and the stated end-use. A licence would not be issued if to do so was inconsistent with any of the Criteria.

EU Internal Trade

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will review the recommendation in the report by the British Chamber of Commerce, Exporting is good for Britain but market barriers stifle opportunities, that the European Union's Single Market Act and Services Directive be implemented in full in order to dismantle barriers to cross-border EU trade.

Michael Fallon: I am aware of the series of British Chamber of Commerce Exporting Is Good for Britain reports, market barriers being one of these.
	The Government is fully committed to an open and efficient single market in services and is working with a number of other likeminded member states to ensure the full implementation of the Services Directive by all EU member states along similar lines to those proposed by the British Chambers of Commerce.

Food

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings (a) his, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have held with directors or staff of the top 15 food producers in the UK in the last 12 months; and what subjects were discussed at those meetings.

Michael Fallon: UK Food and Drink policy is a matter for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson). However Ministers and officials in this Department hold meetings with food producers and their representative bodies on cross cutting business issues. Information on these meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fossil Fuels

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what public monies have been allocated to supporting the Government's oil and gas strategy.

Michael Fallon: As set out in the UK Oil and Gas Industrial Strategy, we are actively engaging with industry on a wide range of Government finance initiatives that are currently in place to support growth and innovation. This includes promoting oil and gas industry participation in the Government-funded Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI), helping to shape the role of the Business Bank, and the reintroduction of oil and gas onto the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) programme.

Further Education: Public Appointments

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's publication entitled, Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills, when he will confirm the appointment of the FE Commissioner.

Matthew Hancock: Following our commitment in Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills, I can confirm that the process is currently under way to appoint a small number of FE Advisers, one of whom will fulfil the role of FE Commissioner, to support the Departments and funding agencies in implementing our new intervention strategy. The recruitment process is being pursued through the National College for Teaching and Leadership's Operational Associates Framework.
	I expect to be in a position to announce details of the appointments before the end of July, which will enable the FE Commissioner to be fully operational from the start of the 2013/14 academic year.

Higher Education: Business

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support business societies at UK universities.

Michael Fallon: The Government is providing seed funding for the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs to build a self-sustainable business model that will support the creation of student enterprise societies in every university and most colleges by 2015. The societies work to drive the growth of entrepreneurship in higher and further education, raising awareness of enterprise as a potential career choice and providing advice and support to students and graduates as they start-up in business.

HMS Ark Royal

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the contract to dismantle HMS Ark Royal; what steps he took to work with (a) UK-based firms and (b) government agencies to ensure that all or some of the work was undertaken by such companies; whether any UK-based facilities bid for the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: There were no specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), regarding the dismantling of the HMS Ark Royal. However there is agreed Government policy set out in the Ship Recycling Strategy which provides the opportunity for UK based firms to compete fairly and openly. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) sold the former HMS Ark Royal following an open competition held in accordance with this strategy. Seventeen proposals, either to recycle or re-use the ship, were received including seven from UK firms. As a result of this competitive process Leyal was selected to recycle the ship at its shipyard in Turkey.

Industry

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for which industry sectors collaborative strategic partnerships are due to be published during this Parliament; and what timetable he has set for the publication of each.

Michael Fallon: Sector strategies have been published in Aerospace, Life Sciences, Nuclear and Oil and Gas.
	Sector strategies in Education Exports, Automotive, Off-Shore Wind, Agri-tech, Information Economy, Professional and Business Services and Construction are due to be published by summer 2013.

Insurance Companies: Billing

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to encourage insurance companies to sign up to the prompt payment code;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects on small businesses of late payment by insurance companies;
	(3)  if he will launch a specific campaign to encourage insurance companies to pay small businesses promptly.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 May 2013, Official Report column 629W.

Intellectual Property

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of UK-owned intellectual property lost through cyber-espionage in the most recent period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: We are aware that intellectual property theft is happening on a large scale. The 2013 Information Security Breaches Survey showed 14% of large organisations and 9% of small businesses reporting theft of intellectual property by an outsider to their organisation. However, some companies may not be aware that thefts or losses of intellectual property have occurred, or be willing to report it, so estimating the overall figure is very difficult.
	As part of the Government's cyber security strategy, BIS is working with others to raise awareness of cyber security issues and to encourage businesses to take steps to protect their information and intellectual property.

Iron and Steel: Industry

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the UK steel industry.

Michael Fallon: BIS holds frequent discussions with the UK steel industry at both ministerial and official level on a range of issues of importance to the sector. Most recently the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met with Tata Steel Europe on 3 June 2013; with SSI on 2 May 2013; and with Celsa Manufacturing (UK) Ltd on 26 March 2013. The issues discussed included energy costs, climate change policy and procurement.

Land Registry

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish (a) all correspondence, (b) market research, (c) the business case and (d) the impact assessment produced by his Department in the last 12 months with regards to privatising the Land Registry.

Michael Fallon: I have asked Land Registry to consider alternative commercial models that would enable them to better deliver on their new Business Strategy. This work is ongoing and no final decisions have yet been made.
	If there were to be any proposal for a change in the status of Land Registry, there would be a full and careful public consultation.

Land Registry

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with (a) trades unions and (b) local authorities with regards to TUPE arrangements in the event of the privatisation of the Land Registry.

Michael Fallon: I have asked Land Registry to consider alternative commercial models that would enable them to better deliver on their new Business Strategy.
	I have met with representatives from both PCS and FDA recently where they were able to raise any issues and concerns.
	There have been no discussions with local authorities with regards to TUPE arrangements as no decisions have yet been made on the future status of Land Registry. If there were to be any proposal for a change in the status of Land Registry, we would embark on a full and careful public consultation.

Manufacturing Industries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage growth in the manufacturing sector.

Michael Fallon: We are strengthening UK manufacturing's capability by encouraging innovation and technology commercialisation, exports, business investment, improving skills, building UK supply chains and promoting manufacturing's image.
	In collaboration with industry, we are developing 11 sector strategies to give business the confidence to invest and grow.
	We have committed £1.5 billion to support sector strategies including £1 billion for the Aerospace Technology Institute with matched funding from industry; £1 billion to the Business Bank; £600 million to develop the "eight great technologies"; a further £350 million to the Regional Growth Fund; £250 million to support the most energy intensive industries and an additional £120 million to the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative.

Manufacturing Industries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the importance of the manufacturing sector to the UK economy.

Michael Fallon: Manufacturing is a vital part of our economy, generating £148 billion in GVA in 2012—10.7% of the UK GDP. It contributes disproportionately to overall levels of productivity generating 53% of the UK's export of goods, and accounts for 72% of our business research and development and thus the innovation which drives growth. It also benefits other sectors through demand for raw materials, energy, and services like research, design, and finance.
	Our Industrial Strategy is promoting measures to support advanced manufacturing including the aerospace and automotive sectors.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent measures he has put in place to help start-up businesses survive and expand.

Michael Fallon: Small and medium-sized businesses are important drivers of economic growth and the Government is working hard to make the UK the best place to start, run and expand businesses.
	There is a wide range of advice and information for businesses available at:
	www.gov.uk
	and also the GREAT website:
	www.greatbusiness.gov.uk
	launched on 5 June, which links to sources of business support from Government and the private sector. The mentorsme website:
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	enables small businesses to access a network of 27,000 experienced business mentors to help them thrive and grow.
	The Government has also taken steps to ensure better access to bank and other sources of finance, which can be a particular issue for new companies looking to expand. This includes helping 11,400 businesses with insufficient track record or collateral to secure commercial loans through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, and increasing the supply of other sources of finance for example investing over £110 million of venture capital in over 80 companies through Enterprise Capital Funds, supporting angel alternative sources of lending such as crowd funding. Also, our Start-Up Loan Scheme provides both advice and finance and has just celebrated its 5,000th loan to help young entrepreneurs set up their new business.
	The Government has also taken steps to stimulate investment in early stage firms through tax incentives such as the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and to support growth in firms with the most ambition and potential, whatever their life stage. For example 6,000 firms including those in their early stages are now benefitting from coaching to accelerate their business growth through the Growth Accelerator programme.
	Finally, I have just announced that the freeze exempting businesses with fewer than 10 employees from burdensome new regulations will now be extended to firms with up to 50 staff, and will continue from 2014.

New Businesses: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to encourage entrepreneurship amongst 16 to 25 year olds.

Michael Fallon: It is important that young people gain first hand business experience to help them understand what it means to run a business and the skills needed to do it successfully. Government supports or promotes a wide range of initiatives to support our drive to build a culture of enterprise through activities in schools, colleges and universities:
	For schools:
	the ‘Enterprise Village’ website provides free resources for teachers to assist them in developing school businesses;
	micro business finance schemes like Young Enterprise's ‘Tenner challenge’ and Peter Jones Foundation's ‘Tycoon in Schools’, provides children with opportunities to create their own business plans and trade while at school;
	having role models share their experiences through the ‘Speakers for Schools’ and Inspiring the Future schemes sees people from all sectors and professions work with state schools and colleges to help young people achieve their potential; and
	the Premier League Enterprise Academy enables Premier League football clubs to foster enterprise among young people principally in deprived areas, by helping young people learn about different aspects of running a football club.
	For higher and further education:
	the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs, is working to develop and drive forward student enterprise societies across higher and further education institutions;
	the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education is also working to enable higher and further education institutions to better support entrepreneurship; and
	the Entrepreneurs and Education Programme aims to further embed entrepreneurship and innovation across universities and colleges.
	Government is also providing access to finance amongst this age group through the New Enterprise Allowance and through Start-up Loans which has just announced its 5000th loan.
	Taken together, these schemes and initiatives will inspire even more young people to start their own business and encourage them to consider entrepreneurship as a career option.

Pay

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the effect of introducing a national living wage on the (a) level of overall dependency on in-work benefits and (b) size of the overall welfare bill.

Jo Swinson: There is no recognised definition of a national living wage. Therefore, we have made no such assessment.
	Advocates of the living wage suggest that it should be a voluntary rate of pay, above the minimum wage that varies by region to reflect the cost of maintaining an adequate standard of living. The Government supports businesses who choose to pay a living wage however the decision on what wages to set are for workers and employers.
	The Government's primary policy for helping the low paid is through the national minimum wage (NMW) and the role of the Low Pay Commission is to review the NMW on the basis of independent judgment and advice. Their remit each year is to use analysis and evidence to set the NMW at a rate that achieves its aim of maximising the wages of the low paid without adverse effects on employment.
	Since the introduction of the NMW, hourly pay has increased more at the bottom end than at the median without a discernible adverse effect on employment.
	However, since around 2007 the Low Pay Commission's judgment is that there is little exploitation at a national level and, therefore, it has recommended that the adult national minimum wage rate should largely keep pace with average earnings growth as any larger rise was likely to have an adverse effect on employment.
	Therefore any increase to the NMW adult rate above the LPC's recommendation, although it might reduce the take up of in-work benefits if the hourly increase led to an increase in weekly wages, is also likely to have an adverse effect on employment and consequently the overall welfare bill.
	The recommendation this year is for the adult national minimum wage rate to rise 1.9%, in October line with expected average earnings growth and more than the general rise in out of work benefits (1%).

Plastic Bags: Italy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has held discussions with the British Retail Consortium on the recent legislation in Italy banning plastic carrier bags and on its implications for UK waste policy.

Michael Fallon: There have been no such discussions. BIS officials are in regular contact with the British Retail Consortium on a range of issues, including carrier bags. The proposed Italian law applies only to Italy. UK waste policy is a matter for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson).

Plastic Bags: Italy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has held discussions with the British Plastics Federation on the recent legislation in Italy banning plastic carrier bags and on its implications for UK waste policy.

Michael Fallon: There have been no such discussions. The proposed Italian law applies only to Italy. UK waste policy is a matter for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson).

Plastic Bags: Italy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reason the UK has made an objection to the European Commission on the compatibility of Italy's proposed ban on plastic bags with the single market provisions in the EU Directive on Packaging and packaging waste 94/62/EC.

Michael Fallon: Plastic packaging is regulated under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive to ensure the environment is protected. As the Italian measure goes beyond these requirements by allowing only biodegradable bags and prevents British businesses selling similar recyclable and other degradable bags into this market, the UK made comments on the proposed law in the form of a Detailed Opinion under the Technical Standards and Regulations Directive 1998/34/EC.

Post Offices: Digital Technology

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the economic effect of new cogent digital camera technology has been on smaller sub-post offices.

Jo Swinson: Cogent equipment is available in 753 post office branches, offering access to services including DVLA photocard licence renewals and in some branches biometric residency permits. Decisions regarding which post office branches have the Cogent equipment is an operational matter that is the responsibility of management at Post Office Ltd. These arrangements do not affect the motor vehicle licensing service available in some 4,600 branches or the passport check and send service available in around 2,500 branches.

Public Houses: Closures

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research, surveys, studies or data gathering on pub closures his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) subscribed to.

Jo Swinson: The information requested is as follows:
	(a)The Department has commissioned London Economics to provide an independent analysis of the impact on pub numbers and employment levels of the proposals in the Government's consultation on Pub Companies and Tenants. Our intention to commission an independent analysis was outlined in the consultation published on 22 April 2013.
	(b) The Department has not subscribed to any “research, surveys, studies or data gathering on pub closures”. However, we have had access to data collected by CGA Strategy, a consultancy, on pub numbers.

Regional Growth Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many jobs would have been created and how much investment would have been generated by each bid to the Regional Growth Fund which has been withdrawn to date had the project gone ahead.

Michael Fallon: It is not possible to set out these figures because the vast majority of withdrawals from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) happen before the project or programme agrees a final offer with Government and before the project or programme has started. In the absence of a final offer detailing a year-by-year jobs and investment profile it is not possible to determine what the project or programme would have delivered if it had not withdrawn.

Regional Growth Fund: North West

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applicants to the Regional Growth Fund in the North West have received funds from the Regional Growth Fund to date; and when such payments were made.

Michael Fallon: In the north-west, £309.3 million has been made available so far to 58 finalised bids. All 31 finalised bids from Rounds 1 and 2 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) have drawn down funding. The following table shows how many of the 31 beneficiaries received their first payment in each of the financial years the RGF has been in operation.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of bids 
			 2011-12 5 
			 2012-13 24 
			 2013-14 (to date) 2 
			 Total 31 
		
	
	The remaining 27 finalised awards are from Round 3. Successful bidders can now draw down funding as required. However, beneficiaries do not need the money in their bank accounts for RGF offer to make a difference—just having our support can be enough to get them started, to trigger private investment that also drives up employment. Nine out of 10 of these projects started as soon as they received confirmation that their application has been selected for funding.

Research: Cancer

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding provided by the Medical Research Council was spent on research into brain cancer in 2011-12.

David Willetts: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. It is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In 2011/12 the MRC spent £1.26 million on research into brain cancer.

Royal Mail

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total cost has been of advice received from (a) investment bankers, (b) management consultants, (c) external lawyers and (d) other professional advisers in respect of the preparation of new ownership structures for Royal Mail since the Postal Services Act 2011 came into force.

Michael Fallon: We will publish details of the expenditure on advisers once a transaction is completed. Given that the sale of Royal Mail shares would be a significant commercial transaction for Government, it is expected that the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee will scrutinise fees incurred as part of any review into the conduct of the transaction. This is the normal process of scrutiny for major Government asset sales.

Sign Language

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on employers of statutory recognition of British Sign Language.

Matthew Hancock: There is no statutory recognition for British Sign Language, but the Equality Act 2010 does impose a duty on employers to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no assessment of the potential effects on employers of considering reasonable adjustments for those with hearing difficulties to help them communicate effectively.

Skilled Workers: Science

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to (a) ensure the future skills needs of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based industries are met and (b) ensure graduates in STEM subjects are equipped with the skills employers need.

David Willetts: The Government fully recognises the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) based industries to the UK economy, and in maintaining a healthy STEM pipeline. This is why we continue to sponsor a range of initiatives which aim to engage young people in STEM at various points in their educational career, as well as raise the profile of manufacturing.
	For example, we sponsor STEMNET and the National Science and Engineering Competition. We are also working with industry to develop innovative programmes such as See Inside Manufacturing and Make it in Great Britain, which allow young people to see the opportunities which a career in manufacturing can offer.
	A current focus of this Department is addressing the potential engineering skills gap which has been predicted by a number of organisations. Professor Perkins and his team were commissioned by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), to look into this issue and will report on their findings later in 2013.
	We know that industry has specific needs and as well as inspiring young people to engage with STEM education we are developing industrial strategies across a range of industries which will address sector specific skills needs.
	In order to ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills which employers need when they leave university we have funded the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) to develop a National Centre for Universities and Business:
	http://www.ncub.co.uk/
	This will cover all aspects of higher education-business collaboration—graduate recruitment, work experience, skill needs, research, knowledge exchange and innovation.
	Universities are working closely with employers to improve their provision and the employability of their students. Employment outcomes, and information on course accreditation are part of the Key Information Set which students can use to inform their choice of course and institution. We are also working with a number of employer representative bodies and professional bodies to enhance the employer's voice in accrediting STEM degrees, and encouraging employers and universities to work together to ensure that students graduate with the sort of skills that employers need.

Students: Work Experience

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to offer industrial placements to (a) science undergraduates and (b) chemistry undergraduates.

David Willetts: Government actively promotes and encourages the creation of placement and internship opportunities across all industry sectors, including the scientific sector. But the key responsibility rests with businesses and universities, who must work together to help students acquire the skills and knowledge that employers need. Placements, internships, and work experience are part of this. For example, Cogent (the Sector Skills Council for Science Based Industries) takes the lead in developing an industry-owned approach to identifying skills demand, establishing standards and commissioning high quality training solutions. Earlier this month, they launched a Life Sciences Skills Placement Service that will make it easier for industry to recruit students for placements. The service aims to provide 120 placements over the first two years, 100 placements a year from the third year, and the first year will be subsidised for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is in line with a Strategy for UK Life Sciences commitment to increase placement opportunities.
	To support the overall approach on employer engagement Government, along with partner organisations, provided development funding for a National Centre for Universities and Business which was launched in January 2013. The NCUB:
	http://www.ncub.co.uk/
	will gather evidence, bring together university and business leaders, and share best practice. It will cover all aspects of higher education-business working, including skill needs, work experience and graduate recruitment.

Technology: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving technological skills training in secondary schools.

David Willetts: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have a close working relationship with the Department for Education (DFE) at both a ministerial and official level. This helps to ensure that the education system provides young people with an effective grounding in the skills which they need and which industry demand.
	I jointly chair, with the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), a regular meeting which brings together leading representatives from across the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) community and provides an opportunity to discuss ideas and feedback on current issues including technological skills. Our most recent meeting included agenda items on STEM technicians and engineering skills. This is part of a continuous dialogue between Departments at a ministerial level which is further supported and strengthened by having the Under-Secretary of State for Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock), as part of the ministerial team with his joint BIS/DFE ministerial responsibilities.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Jo Swinson: The Department's budget for ministerial travel is based on the spend incurred in previous years, the details of which are published in the annual written ministerial statement and the quarterly publication of Ministers' overseas travel. I refer the hon. Member to my answer today to written parliamentary question 157538.
	The Department is mindful of the Ministerial Code which makes it clear that travel arrangements should be efficient and cost-effective but also that ministerial travel in this Department is determined by requests to travel both in the UK and abroad in support of British business interests.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Jo Swinson: Details of this Department's spend with the Government Car Service (GCS) are published in the annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses or via the following links:
	2009/10:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
	2010/11:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
	2011/12:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
	2012/13:
	Details will be published in due course
	Information regarding the cost of Ministers overseas travel can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills/series/bis-quarterly-publications-april-to-june-2012
	Information regarding spend on other forms of ministerial travel could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	As set out in the Ministerial Code Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements and all Ministers are encouraged to walk or use public transport wherever practicable.

UK Trade and Investment: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what occasions representatives from UK Trade and Investment have met with the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership in the last year.

Michael Fallon: On inward foreign direct investment (FDI) matters, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and its Investment Services Team (IST) work closely with Cumbria partners. IST holds meetings every other month with Invest in Cumbria—the Cumbria LEP's designated delivery partner for inward investment—to discuss FDI issues and activity. Over the past 18 months, they have also worked together on inward investment enquiries, relationship management of foreign owned companies operating in Cumbria, organisation of an IST visit to key companies and assets in Cumbria's important business sectors, and an initiative to gather information and intelligence about Cumbria's offer to foreign investors. This activity has involved contact with foreign and domestic owned businesses such as Pirelli, McVities, NuGen, Par Systems, M Sport, TIS, Forth Engineering and James Fisher Nuclear. In addition UKTI representatives have held regular meetings with the LEP chair and executive to take forward the trade agenda.

UK Trade and Investment: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions representatives from UK Trade and Investment have met with businesses based in Cumbria in the last year.

Michael Fallon: During 2012/13 UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) international trade advisers worked with some 261 Cumbria based businesses. Many of these businesses are regular users of UKTI services and will have met with UKTI staff on several occasions over the course of the year. In addition UKTI provided support to Cumbria Chamber of Commerce to run 37 events on exporting which attracted 621 company delegates. UKTI has four international trade advisers based in Cumbria who work closely with the Chamber.